At 97, Zheng Xiaoying, China’s first female opera and symphony conductor, has returned to Tianjin to lead a two-week master class focused on Chinese-language opera. Invited by the Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Zheng began instructing young conductors and opera performers on May 8, culminating in a performance of Mozart’s *The Marriage of Figaro* on May 25 at the Tianjin Grand Theatre.

Zheng describes Tianjin as her “artistic homeland,” where her formal music education began in 1952 at the Tianjin campus of the Central Conservatory of Music. After further study in Beijing, she returned to Tianjin in 1955 to become one of the first teachers in China’s newly founded conducting department, contributing both as an instructor and a composer. Reflecting on those early years, Zheng credits this period with laying the foundation for her career and instilling a lifelong commitment to musical education and artistic rigor.

Throughout her decades-long career, Zheng has championed opera education in China, particularly emphasizing the importance of performing Western operatic works in Chinese. In the early 1980s, she led a groundbreaking production of Verdi’s *La Traviata* in Tianjin, which played to 39 consecutive sold-out audiences. Zheng accompanied each show with public lectures that demystified the opera’s music and narrative, thereby enhancing audience understanding and appreciation.

For the current master class, Zheng selected *The Marriage of Figaro* as a teaching piece, guiding students in interpreting and performing the work in a manner that integrates Chinese language and cultural sensibilities. She underscored that the opera’s themes extend beyond its plot, highlighting social conflicts and negotiations as key elements to communicate. Zheng’s approach to this opera, dating back to a 1983 Chinese-language production used as a vocal department graduation showcase, exemplifies her pioneering effort to make Western opera accessible and resonant with Chinese audiences.

Wang Hongwei, president of the Tianjin Conservatory of Music and a veteran tenor, who invited Zheng to lead the master class, emphasized the importance of stage experience for young performers. He said that performing live allows students to identify and address their weaknesses in a way practice alone cannot.

The conservatory will spotlight its students and faculty in the upcoming 2026 Tianjin Music Festival, running from May through July. The program includes about 100 events, featuring operas, concerts, and academic lectures across the city. Productions will range from Western classics to contemporary Chinese operas such as *Xiao Erhei Gets Married*, *Knot of Togetherness*, which will be staged in Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts in June, and *Erquan*, scheduled for a nationwide tour.

In addition to Western opera, the conservatory’s traditional Chinese music department plans 107 events throughout the year, bringing performances with traditional instruments to concert halls, schools, communities, and scenic sites nationwide. Wang highlighted the institution’s commitment to broadening access to music through outreach programs, embodying their vision of a “campus without walls.”

Earlier this year, the conservatory also inaugurated a memorial hall dedicated to Shi Guangnan, a renowned composer and alumnus. The collection houses over 13,000 artifacts, including manuscripts, personal effects, and archival documents, preserving Shi’s legacy for future generations.

Through Zheng Xiaoying’s return and the conservatory’s extensive programming, Tianjin reaffirms its role as a vital center for nurturing musical talent and fostering public engagement with both Western and Chinese operatic traditions.