Shenyang was born in Tianjin, the son of professional musicians, but did not start singing until the age of sixteen, after his voice broke.[1] He took inspiration from recordings of the German Lieder singer Hans Hotter.[2] At age nineteen, he entered the Shanghai Conservatory of Music,[3] where he studied with Zhou Xiaoyan at the Zhou Xiaoyan International Opera Center.[4]
At the Conservatory, in early 2007 he attended a masterclass given by soprano Renée Fleming. She arranged vocal coaching for him that spring at the Metropolitan Opera in New York,[3] and he went on to win the 2007 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition.[4] After the win, noting confusion in the Western press over the name "Shen Yang", he decided to change its spelling to "Shenyang".[3]
Subsequently, he entered the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the artist diploma program at the Juilliard School.[5] He gave the Juilliard's 2009 Alice Tully Vocal Arts Debut Recital, in which he sang a program in tribute to Hans Hotter, marking Hotter's centenary.[6] His debut at the Metropolitan Opera came in April 2009, as Masetto in Don Giovanni.[3] He sang the role of Colline in La Bohème at the Met in February 2010.[7]
In May 2011 he made a return visit to Shanghai to give a recital of Chinese art song at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, at which he declared his intention to promote that repertoire.[9]
References
^Hsieh, David (May 2010). "Face to Face". Opera News Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
^ ab"China: Shenyang". BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. BBC. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
^"Shenyang". New York Philharmonic. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
^"The Listings". The New York Times. March 20, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
^Rosenblum, Joshua. In 2011 he sang the role of Garibaldo in Roeelinda at the met. (May 2010). "La Bohème, New York City". Opera News Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)