Forging Souls and Cultivating Talent through the Inheritance and Development of National Opera

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that literature and art are projects that forge the soul, and that literary and art workers are engineers of the soul. Good literary and artistic works should, like sunlight in the blue sky and a clear breeze in spring, be able to enlighten thought, warm the heart, cultivate life, and sweep away the atmosphere of decadence and listlessness. Opera possesses a powerful artistic appeal and vitality. As a comprehensive stage art integrating multiple forms such as music, drama, literature, and dance, national opera is an important vehicle for inheriting the excellent traditional Chinese culture, displaying the national spirit and character, and strengthening the people's spiritual strength. It plays a significant role in cultivating and promoting the core socialist values and enriching the people's spiritual and cultural life.

习近平总书记指出，文艺是铸造灵魂的工程，文艺工作者是灵魂的工程师。好的文艺作品就应该像蓝天上的阳光、春季里的清风一样，能够启迪思想、温润心灵、陶冶人生，能够扫除颓废萎靡之风。歌剧具有强大的艺术感染力和生命力。作为融合音乐、戏剧、文学、舞蹈等多种形式的综合性舞台艺术，民族歌剧是传承中华优秀传统文化、展现民族精神风貌、增强人民精神力量的重要载体，在培育和弘扬社会主义核心价值观、丰富人民群众精神文化生活方面发挥了重要作用。

Since the birth of *The White-Haired Girl* [1]1 *The White-Haired Girl* (白毛女) is a seminal Chinese national opera created in 1945 in Yan'an, based on a folk legend. It is widely considered the foundational work of modern Chinese national opera., Chinese national opera has embarked on a unique path of development. It is deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese national culture, drawing nourishment from traditional opera, folk music, and other sources, thereby forming an aesthetic style and artistic paradigm with distinctive Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "The extensive and profound Chinese civilization is the unique spiritual identity of the Chinese nation, the foundation of contemporary Chinese literature and art, and a treasure trove for literary and artistic innovation." [2]2 This quotation is from Xi Jinping's speech at the opening of the 11th National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the 10th National Congress of the China Writers Association, delivered on November 30, 2021. For national opera to achieve long-term development, it must take root in the soil of excellent traditional Chinese culture and absorb nourishment from the splendid and glorious historical culture. In fact, as early as the beginning of the introduction of Western opera, the art of national opera had already integrated various performing art forms such as Chinese traditional opera, folk art, and local music, initiating preliminary explorations in nationalization and popularization.

中国民族歌剧自《白毛女》诞生以来，便走上了一条独特的发展道路。它深深植根于中华民族文化的丰厚土壤，汲取戏曲、民间音乐等养分，形成了独具中国特色的审美风格与艺术范式。习近平总书记强调：“博大精深的中华文明是中华民族独特的精神标识，是当代中国文艺的根基，也是文艺创新的宝藏。”民族歌剧要想取得长远发展，就必须扎根于中华优秀传统文化的土壤，从辉煌灿烂的历史文化中汲取营养。事实上，早在西洋歌剧引进之初，民族歌剧艺术就融汇了中国戏曲、民间艺术和地方音乐等多种表演艺术形式，开始了民族化、大众化的初步探索。

In the New Era, inheriting and developing national opera requires cultivating more literary and artistic talents of both moral integrity and artistic excellence. Higher art academies must consistently adhere to the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education [3]3 "Fostering virtue through education" (立德树人) is a core principle of Chinese educational policy, emphasizing moral character development as the primary goal of schooling., shoulder the responsibility and mission of cultivating talent for the Party and the nation, and actively advance the work of national opera education. This is a systemic project concerning cultural inheritance, artistic innovation, and talent cultivation, and it is the sacred mission of the times for the vast number of opera art workers. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized, "Adhere to a people-centered creative orientation, produce more outstanding works that strengthen the people's spiritual strength, and cultivate and foster a large number of literary artists of both moral integrity and artistic excellence, as well as a large-scale contingent of cultural and artistic talent." [4]4 This quotation is from Xi Jinping's report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China Advancing the work of national opera education, especially promoting the localized development of national opera education, holds multiple contemporary values in today's world of deepening economic globalization and cultural diversity. First, this is an inevitable requirement for strengthening confidence in our culture. Although opera originated in the West, its history of development in China is precisely a history of continuous localization through integration with Chinese traditional culture and real life. Forging souls and cultivating talent in national opera education, teaching and creating opera works with distinct Chinese characteristics, is in itself a consolidation and promotion of the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. Second, this is an urgent need to maintain the artistic vitality of national opera. As society develops and the audience's aesthetic needs become increasingly diverse, national opera must, on the basis of inheriting the cultural essence, undergo creative transformation that conforms to contemporary aesthetics. Higher art academies must strive to cultivate creative and performing talents who can both deeply grasp the essence of national music and possess a modern vision and innovative ability, enabling national opera to radiate new brilliance in the New Era. Finally, this is a necessary link to break the "Western-centric" teaching model and cultivate outstanding artistic talents. The inheritance and development of national opera in the New Era must break the long-standing "Western-centric" teaching model and construct a complete set of teaching systems with Chinese characteristics, from theory to practice, from creation to performance. This is not only an important guarantee for producing more classic works like *Sister Jiang* [5]5 *Tian Han*: A Chinese national opera about the life of Tian Han (1898–1968), the lyricist of China's national anthem, "March of the Volunteers." and *The Red Guards of Honghu Lake* [6], but also lays the talent foundation for Chinese national opera to step onto the world stage and better make China's voice heard.

在新时代传承发展民族歌剧，必须培养更多德艺双馨的文艺人才。高等艺术院校要始终坚持落实立德树人根本任务，扛起为党育人、为国育才的职责使命，积极推进民族歌剧教育工作，这是一项关乎文化传承、艺术创新与人才培养的系统工程，是广大歌剧艺术工作者神圣的时代使命。习近平总书记强调，“坚持以人民为中心的创作导向，推出更多增强人民精神力量的优秀作品，培育造就大批德艺双馨的文学艺术家和规模宏大的文化文艺人才队伍”。推进民族歌剧教育工作尤其是推动民族歌剧教育的本土化发展，在经济全球化、文化多样性深入演进的今天，具有多重时代价值。首先，这是坚定文化自信的必然要求。歌剧虽源自西方，但其在中国的发展史，正是一部不断与中国传统文化和现实生活相结合的本土化历史。在民族歌剧教育中铸魂育人、教授并创作具有鲜明中国特色的歌剧作品，本身就是对中华民族文化主体性的巩固和发扬。其次，这是保持民族歌剧艺术生命力的迫切需要。随着社会发展和观众审美需求的日益多元，民族歌剧必须在传承文化精髓的基础上，进行符合当代审美的创造性转化。高等艺术院校要努力培养出既能深刻把握民族音乐精髓，又具备现代视野和创新能力的创作表演人才，使民族歌剧在新时代焕发新的光彩。最后，这是打破“以西为主”教学模式，培育优秀文艺人才的必要环节。民族歌剧在新时代的传承发展，要打破长期存在的“以西为主”教学模式，构建起从理论到实践、从创作到表演的一整套具有中国特色的教学体系。这不仅是产出更多像《江姐》《洪湖赤卫队》那样的经典作品的重要保障，更能为中国民族歌剧走向世界舞台、更好发出中国声音奠定人才基础。

Forging souls and cultivating talent in the inheritance and development of national opera requires deeply integrating the enhancement of cultural confidence and the elevation of Chinese national cultural subjectivity into all links and aspects of the talent cultivation chain. At the same time, it is necessary to continuously improve institutional mechanisms, cultivate a new generation of national opera talents who truly understand the national spirit, master Chinese art, and possess a contemporary vision, and create more national opera masterpieces that manifest the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength. This will contribute to forging new brilliance in socialist culture and strengthening the spiritual strength for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

在传承发展民族歌剧中铸魂育人，必须将增强文化自信、高扬中华民族文化主体性深度融入人才培养的全链条各环节，同时在体制机制上不断完善，培养出真正理解民族精神、掌握中国艺术、具备时代眼光的新一代民族歌剧人才，创作出更多彰显中国精神、中国价值、中国力量的民族歌剧精品，为铸就社会主义文化新辉煌、增强实现中华民族伟大复兴的精神力量作出贡献。

Construct a multi-school collaborative education mechanism. How to introduce internationally advanced teaching concepts and stage production experience while maintaining the national style is a current challenge facing national opera education. Some domestic universities have already made beneficial explorations in this regard. For example, the Academy of Opera at Peking University has introduced the Stanislavski system into opera education and conducted cross-cultural teaching experiments in combination with Chinese traditional opera performance traditions, providing a useful reference. In recent years, multiple institutions, including the China Conservatory of Music, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, have achieved resource sharing and complementary advantages through forums such as the National Opera Discipline Curriculum Construction. For instance, the "National Opera Talent Cultivation Alliance" jointly initiated by national higher art academies, and the Opera Discipline Construction and National Higher Art Academies Opera Talent Cultivation Academic Seminar initiated by the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, have carried out systematic cooperation in areas such as curriculum co-construction, teacher exchange, and project incubation. Regular joint performances and academic forums held by various schools also provide opportunities for teachers and students to showcase and exchange. As of the end of 2024, over 30 universities have participated in related cooperation projects, cumulatively training more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students in the direction of national opera. This collaborative education model has, to a certain extent, improved teaching quality and scientific research levels, effectively promoted the balanced development of educational resources between regions, and made a beneficial attempt to construct a national opera education system for the New Era.

构建多校协同育人机制。如何在保持民族风格的基础上引入国际先进的教学理念与舞台制作经验是当前民族歌剧教育面临的一个难题。一些国内高校在该方面已经作出有益探索，例如，北京大学歌剧研究院在歌剧教育中引入斯坦尼斯拉夫斯基体系，并结合中国戏曲表演传统进行跨文化教学实验，提供了有益借鉴。近年来，包括中国音乐学院、上海音乐学院、浙江音乐学院等在内的多所院校通过全国歌剧学科课程建设等论坛，实现了资源共享、优势互补。例如，由全国高等艺术院校联合发起的“民族歌剧人才培养联盟”、浙江音乐学院发起的歌剧学学科建设暨全国高等艺术院校歌剧人才培养学术研讨会，围绕课程共建、师资交流、项目孵化等方面展开系统合作。各校定期举办联合展演和学术论坛，也为师生提供了展示与交流的机会。截至2024年底，已有超过30所高校参与相关合作项目，累计培养民族歌剧方向本科生及研究生逾1500人。这种协同育人模式在一定程度上提升了教学质量和科研水平，有效促进了区域间教育资源的均衡发展，为构建新时代民族歌剧教育体系作出了有益尝试。

Promote and improve the collaborative innovation mechanism between universities and professional troupes. Currently, there are problems of poor communication and insufficient resource integration between some universities and local literary and artistic troupes, which to a certain extent restricts the improvement of opera education quality and the expansion of social influence. Therefore, an institutionalized collaboration mechanism should be established to promote a "dual-subject" education model, where universities and troupes jointly undertake teaching, creation, and performance tasks, produce high-quality works that reflect the pulse of the times, and achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages. The cooperation between the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music and the Zhejiang Song and Dance Theatre is a typical case. During the creation process of *Li Qingzhao* [7], the two sides formed a joint team composed of composers, teachers, and actors, realizing an integrated operation of "creation—teaching—performance." Composers transformed academic research results into stage language, teachers fed practical experience back into the classroom to form teaching cases, and actors provided live demonstrations and guidance for students. This "trinity" mode of operation not only improved students' stage performance ability but also enhanced the practical nature of teaching.

推动完善高校与专业院团间协同创新机制。目前，部分高校与地方文艺团体之间存在沟通不畅、资源整合不足的问题，一定程度上制约了歌剧教育质量的提升与社会影响力的扩大。因此，应建立制度化的协作机制，推动“双主体”育人模式，即高校与院团共同承担教学、创作与演出任务，推出反映时代脉搏的精品力作，实现资源共享、优势互补。浙江音乐学院与浙江歌舞剧院的合作就是一个典型案例。在《李清照》的创作过程中，双方组建了由作曲家、教师、演员构成的联合团队，实现了“创作—教学—演出”一体化运行。作曲家将学术研究成果转化为舞台语言，教师将实践经验反哺课堂，形成教学案例，演员则为学生提供现场示范与指导。这种“三位一体”的运作方式不仅提高了学生的舞台表现力，也增强了教学的实战性。

Innovate and develop the curriculum system for national opera education, forming a teaching framework with Chinese characteristics that integrates theory and practice. Currently, the opera courses in some universities still follow traditional models, focusing on skill training such as vocal performance and stage presentation, while neglecting the cultivation of students' cultural understanding and innovative ability. In opera teaching, Western opera is still used as a template, leading to a lack of systematic attention to national and regional characteristics in curriculum design. Therefore, constructing a curriculum system that meets local needs, is both systematic and forward-looking, is particularly important. Efforts should be further made to promote the optimization and upgrading of the curriculum system, strengthen education on excellent traditional Chinese culture, integrate local characteristic resources, and achieve an organic unity of "cultural roots" and "artistic expression." In terms of curriculum structure, a "pyramid"-style curriculum model should be adopted, forming a progressive system of "theoretical foundation—practical platform—innovation apex." Theoretical courses such as *History of Chinese Opera* and *Fundamentals of Traditional Opera Performance* should be closely integrated with practical courses, breaking the traditional single-skill training model and constructing a multi-dimensional knowledge interaction platform.

创新发展民族歌剧教育课程体系，形成具有中国特色的、理论与实践融合的教学框架。当前，部分高校的歌剧课程仍沿袭传统模式，侧重于声乐演唱、舞台表现等技能训练，忽略了对学生文化理解力与创新能力的培养；在歌剧教学中仍以西方歌剧为模板，导致课程设置缺乏对民族性、地域性的系统关注。为此，构建一个符合本土需求、兼具系统性与前瞻性的课程体系显得尤为重要。应进一步推动课程体系的优化升级，强化中华优秀传统文化教育，结合地方特色资源，实现“文化根性”与“艺术表现”的有机统一。在课程结构方面，应借鉴“金字塔”式课程模型，形成“理论基石—实践中台—创新顶端”的递进体系。理论课程如《中国歌剧史》《戏曲表演基础》等要与实践课程紧密结合，打破传统单一技术训练模式，构建多维度的知识交互平台。

Establish a diversified, composite faculty system, enhance the professional competence of the teaching staff, and ensure that national opera education achieves high-quality development. At present, the faculty structure for opera education in some higher education institutions is relatively homogeneous, focusing mainly on bel canto and Western opera, and lacking comprehensive training in areas such as traditional Chinese opera, national vocal styles, and modern stage technology. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the introduction of professional talents with rich stage experience, such as artists, composers, and directors, to participate in teaching, and to promote the construction of a diversified, composite faculty system. In concrete practice, the approach of the Shanghai Opera House is worth learning from. In its opera *Tian Han* [5]5 *Tian Han*: A Chinese national opera about the life of Tian Han (1898–1968), the lyricist of China's national anthem, "March of the Volunteers.", it brought together opera directors, Peking Opera performance experts, and vocal music professors to collaborate in creation, forming an interdisciplinary creative-performance model combining "the Stanislavski system — opera conventions — scientific techniques." This diversified and integrated configuration not only enhances the comprehensive quality of the performers but also helps them develop stronger adaptability in their future artistic practice, thereby cultivating more top-tier professional talents in national opera.

建立多元化、复合型师资体系，提升教师队伍的专业素养，确保民族歌剧教育实现高质量发展。当前，部分高校的歌剧教育师资结构较为单一，主要集中在美声唱法和西方歌剧方向，缺乏对中国传统戏曲、民族唱法及现代舞台技术等方面综合能力的培养。因此，应加快引进具有丰富舞台经验的艺术家、作曲家、导演等专业人才参与教学，推动构建多元化、复合型的师资体系。在具体实践中，上海歌舞剧院的做法值得借鉴。其在歌剧《田汉》中，吸纳戏曲导演、京剧表演专家以及声乐教授共同创作，形成了“斯坦尼体系—戏曲程式—科学技法”相结合的跨学科创演模式。这种多元融合的配置，不仅提升了演员们的综合素质，也有助于他们在未来的艺术实践中具备更强的适应能力，由此培养更多民族歌剧顶尖专业人才。

(Author: Zheng Peiqin, Professor at the Department of Vocal and Opera Music, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music)

（作者：郑培钦，系浙江音乐学院声乐歌剧系教授）