Met star brings Confucian ideal to recital

Opera star bass Tian Haojiang has performed for the Met for two decades. [Photo by Zuni/for China Daily]

Inspired by Confucius, international opera star bass Tian Haojiang will host a recital at Carnegie Hall on Dec 17 to mark his 30th year since arriving in the US and celebrate his music and his story.

Tian says the recital will have a broad representation of his experience, from his childhood memories to the arias he performs on the stage today.

"Each song has a story behind it," he says. "These songs will convey the story of my life."

Tian cites one American song in particular that he will perform - Some Enchanted Evening. "This song means so much to me, as it led me onto the path of a career in music and totally changed my life," he says.

The song - from Rogers and Hammerstein's 1949 Broadway musical South Pacific-was the first song in English he'd ever learned as a graduate student at the University of Denver in 1984. His music teacher at the time, Martha, is now his wife.

"This touching love song is very dear tome," Tian says. "It reminds me of the sweet memories between my wife and me."

Tian chose Dec 17 as the recital date for another sentimental reason.

"I came to the US exactly 30 years ago, on Dec 17, 1983,with $35 in my pocket, and I could only speak four words in English: 'Hello, thank you, hi and bye'," he says.

On that same day, Tian spent $8 for a standing-room-only pass to the Metropolitan Opera's performance of Verdi's Ernani. The lead tenor was Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes was the baritone and the conductor was James Levine.