By Phoebe Haines
Art is a universal language that transcends national boundaries and cultural barriers, connecting our diverse world. Art can be individual and unique, and yet art speaks to us all in a common language, serving as a bridge for mutual learning across different countries and civilizations.
Photo taken after the “50 Years of Friendship” concert at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Beijing, November 2023. (Photo provided by Phoebe Haines)
I am a mezzo-soprano opera singer from the United Kingdom and my connection with China began with a set of performances eight years ago. In 2016 I was invited to join iSING! Suzhou International Young Artists Festival in East China’s Jiangsu Province. The iSING! Festival is the first program of its kind dedicated to the promotion of Putonghua, or Mandarin Chinese, as a “lyric language”: in other words, a language of opera. The festival was founded by world-famous Bass and star of the Metropolitan Opera, Tian Haojiang. The festival offers world-class vocal training to young talent from China and other countries, and has provided an opportunity for singers from all over the world to showcase their skills and musicality by singing in Chinese.
The year 2016 marked my first trip to China and I discovered my love for the Chinese language at this festival. While it would be another several years before I began teaching myself Chinese characters, from 2016 I started my Chinese language journey by learning to sing Chinese songs. Having invested in three years of full-time Chinese language study at Tsinghua University in Beijing from 2020-2023, I am now happily studying for a doctoral degree at the School of Arts in Peking University where my research interests lie in the study of Kunqu Opera. Learning Chinese music has provided a way for me to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, which I find incredibly valuable.
Photo shows Phoebe Haines with her supervisor, Professor Blake Stevens, performing “The Conception and Interpretation of Chinese Art Songs” concert at Peking University’s Stanford Center, April 2023. (Photo provided by Phoebe Haines)
In January 2023 I had the privilege of performing in Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems, a concert at the Lincoln Center in New York, together with artists from China and all over the world. The songs we performed were set to the texts of Tang Dynasty (618-907) poems, allowing our audiences an insight into the charm of ancient Chinese poetry.
For this performance, we were lucky enough to collaborate with the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra. As many readers may be aware, in September 1973 the orchestra themselves embarked on a historic China tour: That tour was a truly ice-breaking moment in China-US relations as the Philadelphia Orchestra was the first US orchestra to visit the country since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
At our concert of January 2023, I felt that that instant too was a special and historical moment in time, a connection of East and West and a fusion of tradition and modernity, all spoken through the language of art. One of the songs performed that night was set to the text of Sending off Du Shaofu by Tang Dynasty poet Wang Bo. “Distance cannot separate the hearts of true friends”: This timeless line epitomized the core concept of our concert.
There have been cultural exchanges between East and West dating back many hundreds of years. At Stratford-upon-Avon stands a copper sculpture of William Shakespeare and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright Tang Xianzu, known as “the Shakespeare of Asia.” This sculpture was erected in 2017. These two outstanding representatives of Eastern and Western theater never met, but both happened to pass away in the same year of 1616. Over 400 years later, the two playwrights are immortalized sharing a unique encounter across time: Shakespeare holding a quill and Tang holding his brush, symbolizing the interaction and resonance between Eastern and Western cultures.
Be it near or far, be it between individuals or nations, friendship and mutual trust are of utmost importance. I believe that close friendships can create a sense of solidarity, making the world a better place. Such friendships can be fostered through meaningful people-to-people interaction: through cultural exchanges, communication, dialogue and cooperation.
Relations between countries may fluctuate over time, but cross-border exchanges, particularly in the arts, remain a vital force in our world. These types of exchanges among nations help us to move from initial unfamiliarity toward a deep sense of connection. Through meaningful interactions, people from different countries can gradually dispel misunderstandings, discard prejudices and enhance mutual cooperation. One day, these friendships will become as profound as “a lake a thousand feet deep,” as in the ancient Chinese poem.
In 1920, a young man named Liu Bannong, who would later become a renowned linguist, was studying abroad in London. Borne out of his longing for his homeland of China, he wrote the poem Teach me how not to miss her. It was adapted into an art song by the composer and linguist Zhao Yuanren, creating an artwork that was popular not only in China, but continues to attract widespread attention in international art circles.
I feel a deep connection to this song every time I hear it. The universal appeal of great works of art lies in their ability to evoke the most simple and genuine emotions in people’s hearts while also conveying unique historical and cultural elements.
Nations differ, just as individuals differ. This is but one side of reality. The other side is that we all share common human emotions. We can be enchanted by beautiful music even if we don’t know the language being sung. We can empathize with the misfortunes of others, even though they live in places we have never been. As humans, two of our most special endowments are the capacities to both communicate and to empathize.
As the ancient Chinese educator and philosopher Confucius said, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others” and “If you wish to establish yourself, help establish others. If you wish to achieve your goals, help others achieve theirs.” John Donne, a leading English poet of the 16th century, wrote, “No man is an island.” Drawing on the words of those who came before us, we can treat others with humility and strive to be more attentive listeners.
This approach allows us to put ourselves in others’ shoes and to better understand each other. That way we can seek out common ground and live in harmony.
(Phoebe Haines is a mezzo-soprano from the United Kingdom studying at Peking University.)
