Shi Yikui, a native of Zhangcun, Lin Yue Street, Fenghua City, was born in Shanghai in 1995. He, together with Lin Yutang and Zhang Daqian, was once called the three superstars of overseas Chinese in China. Head of the Department of Vocal Music, Hysmans Conservatory of Music, University of Rochester, new york, USA, tenured professor, one of the top ten singers in the world. A famous musician who can sing hundreds of world famous songs in six languages, including Chinese, English, German, Italian, Russian and French, once sang all over Asia, Europe, America and Oceania with a song "Teach me how to miss him".
1932 Yi-kwei sze, who was still a middle school student after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, attended a music cram school organized by a group of enthusiastic young people in Shanghai Conservatory of Music (the predecessor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music) for the purpose of resisting Japan and saving the country. His extraordinary musical potential was discovered, making him the only music school student in China at that time. He studied violin and vocal music in Shanghai Conservatory of Music, received strict and systematic theoretical and technical training, and graduated from the vocal music department of the school with excellent results, which laid a solid foundation for his long singing career.
1936 On the eve of the Incident, Shi Yikui was invited to Luoyang to attend Chiang Kai-shek's 50th birthday concert. He sang Yue Fei's song Red River. Zhang Xueliang, who was accused of not resisting the general, burst into tears when he sang "Thirty fame, a thousand miles of dust, eight thousand miles of clouds and moons" and "Hungry to eat pork, laughing and thirsty to drink Hun blood". Shi Yikui was deeply moved by the general's tears, which also prompted the young man who was passionate about resisting Japan and saving the country to associate his singing art with the national salvation movement. After that, Shi Yikui went to Hong Kong and other places to inspire people's anti-Japanese fighting spirit with passionate songs, and dedicated the proceeds of the charity performance to the frontline anti-Japanese soldiers.
194 1 year, due to the fall of Hong Kong, Shi Yikui returned to Shanghai. Wang puppet regime threatened and lured him, and sent him a "power of attorney" to force him to "go out of the mountain". He resolutely bid farewell to his parents, wife and children, fled Shanghai and came to Chongqing to become a vocal professor at Qingmuguan Branch of the National Conservatory of Music. 1944 April 14, at the invitation of Soong Ching Ling, Shi Yikui and the famous dancer Dai performed on the same stage in Guotai Theater, the most respectable mountain city, in support of the anti-Japanese soldiers ahead. Shi Yikui's song "In Tiesuoli" and Dai's dance "Picking Girls" conquered patriotic audiences and allied officers and soldiers from all walks of life all over the country, and people paid for it one after another. The charity performance received more than 400,000 yuan in anti-Japanese donations.
In order to explore a higher-level music world, Shi Yikui, who is enterprising, resolutely gave up his professorship and came to the United States on 1947. He studied under the mezzo-soprano Edith walker, who once performed with caruso, and the professional actor and bass singer Alexander Kipnis of metropolitan opera. The two teachers organically combined the essence of their traditional western pronunciation methods with his unique oriental delicacy, softness and elegance, and honed their vocal potential and specialty, thus forming Shi Yikui's beautiful and vigorous vocal performance style. 1949, 165438+ 10 This month, Shi Yikui, in his thirties, boarded the Carnegie Music Concert Hall in new york, which was specially designed for world-class singers. He sang Brahms songs accurately, skillfully and artistically, and warm applause and countless flowers came to him. The success of this solo concert marks that Shi's vocal works have entered the threshold of world-class level and finally won a place for China people on the international vocal stage. Since then, he has held five solo concerts in new york, becoming one of the pillars of "metropolitan opera" in new york.
In the 1950s, yi-kwei sze not only became popular on the stage of major cities in the United States, but also went to Australia and New Zealand and extended to Europe. He composed hundreds of world famous songs in six languages: Chinese, English, German, Italian, Russian and French, which fascinated audiences all over the world. 1966, yi-kwei sze signed a contract with the famous FRANAC company to produce and publish the first ten-inch record in America. 1966 and 1967 won the prize of the National Recording Society of Paris twice. The 1970s witnessed the glory of Shi Yikui's singing art. He was active in the international authoritative music stages such as Bethlehem Music Festival, Dutch Music Festival, Bach Music Festival, Beethoven Music Festival and Aspen Music Festival in Europe, and won the "Edison Award" for the best solo and solo record music interpreter awarded by the Dutch government. Since 1970, yi-kwei sze has been a professor of vocal music at the Cleveland Conservatory of Music in the United States, and the head, professor and tenured professor of vocal music at the Hysmans Conservatory of Music at the University of Rochester. Because of his lofty position in the international vocal music field, he was not only the lead singer of the concert after the inauguration ceremony of the 35th President of the United States, but also twice invited to the United Nations to sing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony "Ode to Joy". 1985 When President Reagan welcomed China, president and Li Xiannian to visit the United States at the White House, Shi Yikui was invited as a celebrity.
1In June, 978, Shi Yikui visited Beijing at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and set foot on his homeland after being away for more than 30 years. This trip to Beijing was received by the then Vice President Soong Ching Ling. 1979 When China and the United States established diplomatic relations, Shi Yikui paid an official visit to Beijing as one of the heads of the cultural delegation of the American government in accordance with the Sino-US Cultural Exchange Agreement. Shi Yikui set up a scholarship fund for overseas students in China at Eastman Conservatory of Music, and decided to return to Shanghai to give lectures as soon as possible, so as to make a modest contribution to the cultivation of Chinese music talents.
1In mid-July, 1979, yi-kwei sze returned to China for the third time with vocal books, records and tapes 18 boxes of luggage from the United States, and gave lectures and taught at Shanghai Conservatory of Music for five months. It is reported that Professor Shi Yikui came to Shanghai to give lectures, which set off an upsurge of learning Bel Canto all over the country. Even music teachers and singers from Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia have come here. Shi Yikui not only brought scientific teaching ideas, fresh teaching methods and rich vocal teaching materials to China people, but also put "texture first, and the beauty of voice, expression and language should be integrated into a harmonious and unified whole when singing; Caution without indulgence, light without retreat; Return the essence of artistic practice accumulated for more than 40 years, such as high notes without rushing or slipping and low notes without collapsing, to the motherland and alma mater without reservation. After the lecture, Dean He Luting presented Mr. Shi Yikui with the certificate of "Honorary Professor" of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Although it was only a short period of five months, in today's authoritative music textbooks in China, it is generally acknowledged that Shi Yikui is a representative figure who bel canto was introduced to China in 1970s.
1May, 994 1 1 day, this world-renowned vocalist completed 79 glorious years.