Chinese opera Erquan to be performed in Wuxi

The Chinese opera Erquan is performed at Wuxi Grand Theater on Jan 5 and 6. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Chinese opera Erquan, which tells the story of Wuxi's visually-impaired folk musician Hua Yanjun, commonly known as A'Bing, will be performed at Wuxi Grand Theater on Jan 5 and 6.

The opera is named after A'Bing's most famous piece, Moon Reflected on the Er-quan Spring (Erquan Yingyue), and it premiered in Nanjing during the third Jiangsu Performing Arts Festival in October, 2017.

A'Bing lived a very difficult life, but he never gave up on his love for music.

He earned his living playing the pipa, erhu and other traditional Chinese instruments, and he is loved by Wuxi locals both past and present.

"A'Bing's Erquan Yingyue has been referred to as the 'Chinese Fate Symphony' and we decided without a second thought to tell the story of A'Bing for Wuxi's first original opera," said Liu Zhongbao, president of the Wuxi Song and Dance Theatre. Famous tenor Wang Hongwei plays the role of A'Bing, and the opera is directed by first-rate national director Huang Dingshan. Huang centered the opera on A'Bing's struggle with poverty and darkness, and his unremitting love for music, rather than on the creation of his masterpiece Erquan Yingyue.

The opera Erquan is scheduled to be performed at the National Center for the Performing Arts in March and will later join a national tour organized by the Ministry of Culture.