Yan Mutian
Lineage & School of Heritage
At the age of ten he began learning Xiqin Opera singing, drum conducting, clapper beating and wind-and-percussion melodies from his father Yan Kezhong, a renowned lead accompanist of Xiqin Opera, and after turning sixteen he studied under the celebrated xiaosheng Luo Zongman.
Mastery, Signature Works & Repertoire
He specialized in xiaosheng (young male) roles and has more than sixty years of professional experience. His acting is vigorous and impassioned, plain and grand, carrying on the traditional style of Xiqin Opera; he has been especially distinguished in research on the genre's traditional music and vocal art, compiling the 450,000-character Xiqin Xi Chuantong Yinyue Changqiang Weitan (A Modest Inquiry into the Traditional Music and Vocal Art of Xiqin Opera), which filled a gap in Xiqin Opera studies. He actively trains young people, passing on the traditional vocal art, performance and instrumental methods of Xiqin Opera.
Honors & Recognition
Male, Han ethnicity, born in January 1938 in Haifeng County, Guangdong Province, and died in January 2020. He was a national representative bearer of Xiqin Opera, a third-batch national intangible cultural heritage project.
References & Archival Sources
Representative Items of This Bearer
- Xiqin Opera Ⅳ-47
Profile
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。