Hui He

SOPRANO

Soprano Hui He is one of the best opera singers in the world. She debuted as Aida in Shanghai Grand Theater in 1998. In 2000, she won the Second Prize at Placido Domingo’s International Operalia Competition in Los Angeles, after which she was invited by Maestro Domingo to sing a concert with him in Shanghai. In 2002, Ms. He won the First Prize at the Voci Verdiane in Bussetto. In the same year, she burst into the international music scene with her performance as the title role in Puccini’s Tosca at Teatro Regio in Parma. Since her breakout performance in 2002, Ms. He has appeared on the stages of the most prestigious theatres in the world. Western media remarked her as “China’s greatest gift to the world of opera”, Vienna Zeitung praised her “The best you could wish for Madama Butterfly”, the leading Italian music critic remarked her as “the most expressive Aida”. Hui He has won many prestigious awards, such as the Oscar of the Opera by the Arena di Verona Foundation, the “Luigi Illica” prize by the City of Castell’Arquato, the “Juliet” prize awarded by the “Giuseppe Verdi” association in Verona for her interpretation of Aida in 2007, the Kaleidos prize the Prize, “2015 Marcella Pobbe award”, the Angelo Lofolese Award for Achievement in Opera, “Premio 2022” by Associazione Musicale Verona Lirica; she was named 2014/15 season one of the top 10 female singers in the world by “Opera Actual”, the most authentic Spanish opera magazine; in 2015, Phoenix Television granted her “World Chinese Awards”; in 2021, she was awarded Premio Vivien Leigh of the 22nd Primio Riviera Laurence Olivier Vivien Leigh.

Ms. He is the only Chinese singer who has been performing as the heroine roles at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. In the past 25 years of her international opera career, she has appeared frequently at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Arena di Verona, Deutsche Oper Berlin, State Opera Under den Linden, Opera Bastill in Paris, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Valencia Opera House, China National Centre for the Performing Arts, Tokyo NHK Opera House and Athens National Opera House among others. She has performed as the heroine roles in the following Operas: Aida, Un Ballo in Maschera, Stifelio, Attila, Il trovatore, Simon Boccanegra, La Forza del Destino, Ernani, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, La Bohème, Turandot, Andrea Chénier, Adriana Lecouvreur, La Gioconda, Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Ariadne Auf Naxos among others. Hui He has worked with the world-renowned conductors including Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Oren, Fabio Luisi, Marco Armilliato, Andris Nelsons, Gustavo Dudamel and etc. She has participated in opera productions with the world-renowned directors including Franco Zeffirelli, Hugo de Ana, Robert Wilson, Damiano Michieletto to name a few, starring alongside highly acclaimed singers such as Placido Domingo, Renato Bruson, Raina Kabaivanska, Giovanna Casolla, Roberto Alagna and etc.

In 2018, Hui He continued her active appearances on the worldwide stages, performing the heroine of Ernani at Marseille Opera House, La Gioconda at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Tosca at Puccini Opera Festival, Aida at the Arena di Verona Opera Festival in Italy and also at China National Center of Performing Arts, Madama Butterfly in Zurich Opera House, and etc.

In 2019, Hui He performed La Giocondo at the Bruxelles Opera La Monnaie, Adriana Lecouvreur at the Verona Philharmonic Theatre and the Salzburg Music Festival. To celebrate playing the heroine role at the Arena di Verona Opera Festival in Italy for 15 consecutive years, she performed Tosca and Aida. And she made her debut of Turandot at the Bologna Municipal Opera House and Dubai Opera House, and her debut of La Boheme at the Puccini Opera Festival in Italy. At the end of 2019, Hui He performed 10 consecutive performances of Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, as well as her debut of Turandot in China at Shanghai Grand Theatre.

In 2020, Hui He performed as the title role in La Giocondo at Deutsche Oper Berlin. She was invited to perform in the Puccini Opera Gala at the Arena di Verona in Italy, and had her solo concert in Bellini Music Festival. Hui He also made her recital tour in China including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and etc. In 2021, Hui He performed as the title role in Verdi’s opera Ernani at Teatro Nacional São Carlos, and as the title role in Puccini’s Tosca in Staatsoper Hamburg, which marked her 100th performance of Tosca. In 2017, HK journalist Melanie Ho published a book “Journey to the West – He Hui: A Chinese Soprano in the World of Italian Opera”, translated in Italian with the title “Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle! He Hui – Un soprano cinese nel mondo dell’opera lirica”. In 2018, Sony Classic published Hui He’s album “Verdi Opera Arias” recorded with Orchestra of Arena di Verona. In the same year the docufilm “Hui He: A Soprano from the Silk Road” which was directed by Andrea Prandstraller and Niccolò Bruna, was presented at the Biografilm Festival of Bologna and at Rome Festival Cinema d’iDea after the successful presentations in China.

Besides her busy singing career, Hui He serves as the Professor of Vocality Department of Xi’an Conservatory of Music. She is deeply fond of painting and in 2021, recommended by the prestigious AVA Gallery in Italy, 13 paintings of Hui were selected and exhibited in the World Art Dubai 2021. In the same year, her painting “Wonderful Harmony” was awarded the “Vita Nova” in Dante Alighieri Premio D’arte Internazionale. Her paintings were selected and exhibited again in the World Art Dubai 2022.

December 2022

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PRESS

❝The character’s volatile emotions were expertly captured by Hui He throughout her time onstage, with her sensitivity to the words. […] After the truth of Pinkerton’s return is made clear to her in Act three, Hui He’s utterly crushed lines were highly gripping as she readied for her suicide; her final aria “Tu? Tu? Piccolo iddio” was a thing of ruinous beauty as her grieving farewell to her child swelled to tremendous vocal heights.❞

(Logan Martell, Operawire)

❝[Hui He] per me è una rivelazione. Voce bellissima e corposa, “vibrato” esattissimo, né troppo né troppo poco, “portamenti” eleganti, giusto senso della frase, dizione italiana perfetta.❞

(Paolo Isotta, Corriere della Sera)

❝Hui He recently sang the role in Verona between March and April. The public applauded this slim figure that gracefully holds the long turquoise dress and its great interpretation. A dangerous situation to make his debut in Salzburg, above all being the Opera in concert version and not on stage. But the Chinese have the security, a warm voice and a beautiful technique. In the long scene of agony and finding with her lover, she will die with expression, clinging to the pulpit, before settling gracefully between two chairs.❞

(Marie-Aude Roux, Le Monde)