Yajie Zhang: Blossoming Roses of Sound
Interview by Jiawen Xie
April 24, 2025 | read original article (CN)
Yajie Zhang
Mezzo-soprano, Grand Prize Winner of the International Vocal Competition (IVC) and Dual Doctorate in Opera and Chamber Music
---
Q: Please introduce your personal journey to our readers.
From a young age, I was deeply passionate about music and performance. I began with the traditional Chinese instrument, the guzheng, before embarking on the path of opera. After graduating from the Vocal Opera Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, I pursued further studies at the Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media and the Karlsruhe University of Music in Germany, earning dual doctorates in Opera Performance and Art Song. As the youngest grand prize winner, I received accolades such as the 51st International Vocal Competition in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, and an honorary medal from China’s National Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Later, I was selected for the Bavarian State Opera’s Young Artists Program, where I gained invaluable stage experience and collaborated with world-class artists. I then became a resident soloist at the Leipzig Opera in Germany, performing major roles while also appearing at renowned European theaters like the Zurich Opera, Bavarian State Opera, and Paris Bastille Opera. I have performed symphonic and solo concerts at venues and festivals including the Berlin Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Oxford Lieder Festival, the Helsinki Festival, and the Beijing Music Festival. In 2024, I collaborated with Naxos Records at the Berlin Konzerthaus to perform and record the world premiere of Donizetti’s opera Dalinda. I also recorded William Grant Still: American Art Songs with pianist Hartmut Höll for Germany’s SWR Radio. (Link)
Constantly traveling for performances, I’ve come to see singing as a form of spiritual practice. “Bel Canto” is not merely a technical skill but a bridge built with sound to connect cultures and beliefs. It is the courage to let Li Shangyin’s midnight rain dwell within one’s voice while nurturing roses along the Rhine. Through my singing, I hope to share the magic of music with audiences worldwide.
---
Q: You were part of the Bavarian State Opera’s Young Artists Program. What left the deepest impression on you during that time, and what was the most important lesson you learned?
Before joining the program, I had already performed as a guest singer at German opera houses in roles like Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel. However, the Bavarian program was both immensely rewarding and physically demanding.
The most profound lesson was learning from the stage itself. It is not just a place to refine technique but to shape artistic identity. Opera transcends language and notes to convey raw emotion. As a singer-actor, every phrase must resonate with the conductor, orchestra, and fellow performers. I learned the importance of “listening and collaboration,” immersing myself fully in the character and engaging in unreserved dialogue with the audience and myself.
---
Q: Among the operas you’ve performed, which has moved you the most? What is the emotional core of that role?
The most touching role for me is Zanetto, the lonely troubadour in Mascagni’s opera Zanetto. This young poet clings to pure longing for love and ideals, only to face disillusionment. His “lonely romanticism”—a fragile yet tenacious vitality—lies at the heart of the character and the opera. Mascagni’s delicate, dramatic Italian style also deeply moves me. Berlin critics praised my interpretation for “making music bloom like flowers in silence,” reflecting the soulful resonance between the role and me.
---
Q: You performed Rossini’s La Cenerentola at the Leipzig Opera last year. How did you approach the emotions of this classic story?
Unlike the passive Cinderella of fairy tales, Rossini’s heroine is a witty, humorous woman who defies fate with inner strength and kindness. In the opera’s melancholic opening, I maintained a bright timbre to convey her vitality. Light coloratura showcased her cleverness, while warm middle-register tones hinted at her suppressed dignity. Collaborating with the director, I incorporated rebellious gestures—defiant eyebrow raises, piercing glances, sudden silences—to highlight her charisma.
---
Q: You participated in the Zurich Opera premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Around the World in 80 Days. Could you briefly introduce the work and its emotional themes?
Dove’s adaptation of Verne’s novel blends modern musical language with adventure. It is not just a journey across continents but a collision of cultures and self-discovery. Discordant harmonies and erratic rhythms mirror the voyage’s turbulence, while expansive melodies express the longing for freedom of my character, Aouda. Curiosity, adventure, and openness define her. No matter how technology shrinks distances, human connection still requires courage and trust.
---
Q: What roles do you wish to tackle in the future?
Beyond the long-awaited Carmen, I aim to explore complex, dramatic roles like Dalila in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila, Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, or Brangäne in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. For me, every role is about expressing its soul through music. Each performance is a new exploration—a dialogue with the character, the audience, and myself. I am excited to share that next season, I will return to the Zurich Opera and Bavarian State Opera, and debut at the Berliner Philharmonie. I look forward to sharing more music and stories onstage.
Translated from the Chinese