The Ina Ho Cantonese Opera Research Centre held a “Sharing Session: Cantonese Opera in Australia” on February 1, 2024. The session was delivered by the founder of Loyal Arts Studio, Ms. Elsa Ho, who has dedicated nearly 30 years to teaching and promoting Cantonese opera in Australia. During the session, Ms. Ho shared her experiences of planning Cantonese opera performances overseas with Dr. Kelly Chan, the Centre Director of IHCORC. She also provided on-the-spot demonstrations of pinghou (平喉) and zihou (子喉) (the vocal styles used by actors in male and female roles) techniques. The audience was impressed and expressed that they gained valuable insights.
Following the sharing session, some audience members expressed their gratitude to Ms. Ho for her persistent efforts in promoting Chinese art and culture overseas. Professor Charles Kwong, the Dean of A&SS, encouraged everyone to follow Ms. Ho’s example and strive to preserve Cantonese opera in their respective positions. The university also pledged to increase its efforts in launching more Cantonese opera-related courses and activities in the future.
