[Photo by Zhang Shaowei/chinadaily.com.cn]

Singing styles, such as bel canto, folk and pop singing, are just tools to express a singer's feeling and emotion, said Liang Ning, the famous mezzo-soprano, during an interview at a concert before Christmas.

For Liang, bel canto is a good vocal style and her skills serve the art well.

Starting from zero

Liang had no idea of the different singing styles when she first started singing until she started listening to classic music at the homes of her teachers Shen Xiang and Huang Feili, who were both famous musicians and educators at the time.

"I was surprised that the music was so wonderful. I listened to Symphony Nos. 1-9 of Ludwig van Beethoven, and the works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Then I discovered bel canto. The teacher's instructions were very important to the student."

Brave decision

In 1985, Liang decided to go to the US after studying for half a year for her Master's degree at the Central Conservatory of Music. Even by today's standards, it was a brave decision.

"I had already won several prizes in different counties at that time. The experience, especially from watching opera at the Royal Opera House in England, helped me to understand how big the world was, and how I knew too little then."

In the 1980's, there were not many music notations of western operas in China. Resources within the field were not abundant.

"You have to go to western countries if you want to learn western music."

"As I learned more about the country, my mind changed. I once thought the music would be simple, but it was not the case. You have to do everything you can to learn as much as possible. You will find that the prizes you win are useless – what people care about is how well you sing."

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