Note: The venue is located inside the Evelyn & Mo Ostin Music Center in Room #150, across from the Evelyn & Mo Ostin Music Café. There is no food or drink allowed while inside the venue. This event is FREE - no RSVP required. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.
The event livestream will be available to watch here:
https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/school-of-music-live-streams/#recording-studio-ostin-music-center
Join us for an evening celebrating the legacy, acquisition, and digitization of the Hua Wenyi Collection at the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive. Hua Wenyi (1941–2022) was one of the most influential Kunqu opera performers of her generation. Born and trained in Shanghai, she rose to prominence as a leading dan (refined female-role) performer and later served as the director of the Shanghai Kun Opera Company. After relocating to California in 1989, she co-founded the Hua Kun Research Institute in Los Angeles with Susan Pertel Jain, through which they organized performances, workshops, and lectures that introduced Kunqu aesthetics to wide audiences. Recognized nationally for her contributions, Hua Wenyi received the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1997.
Kunqu opera is the classical opera of China emerged in the 16th century and remains one of the most enduring classical theatrical traditions in the world. In 2001, it was designated a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Hua Wenyi’s artistry and teaching brought this centuries-old tradition into contemporary cultural life, shaping generations of performers and scholars. Her collaborations with avant-garde American theater director Peter Sellars further expanded Kunqu’s visibility and influence. As Sellars told the Los Angeles Times on first seeing Hua Wenyi perform: “That was one of the most profound performances of my lifetime. Hua Wenyi has the most powerful eyes of anyone in Chinese opera.”
This gathering celebrates the donation of Hua Wenyi’s personal materials to the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive, where her legacy will be preserved for future generations. The program includes remarks from her daughter; reflections from artistic collaborators Peter Sellars and Susan Pertel Jain; and performances by UCLA Kunqu students and members of the Kunqu Society. Through conversation, performance, and archival presentation, the evening honors Hua Wenyi’s life, her teaching, and her enduring artistic spirit.
Born in the Kwun (Kunqu) opera stronghold of Shanghai, Hua Wenyi trained at the Shanghai Opera School, becoming a leading performer of refined female roles and director of the Shanghai Kwun Opera Company. In 1989, Hua Wenyi relocated permanently to California. In 1990, she established the Hua Kun Research Institute in Los Angeles, to organize performances, teaching, and lecture tours on Kunqu opera throughout California and the United States. Kunqu opera is the classical opera of China, arising in the 16th century on the central east coast and still widely performed today; in 2001 it was named a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Hua Wenyi also collaborated with avant-garde American theatre director Peter Sellars on multiple occasions. As Sellars told the Los Angeles Times on first seeing Hua Wenyi perform: "That was one of the most profound performances of my lifetime. Hua Wenyi has the most powerful eyes of anyone in Chinese opera.” She was awarded the title of National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1997.
This event is presented by the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive and co-sponsored by the UCLA Asia Pacific Center.