Kunqu opera performer Yu Jiulin's personal studio will open in Bacheng town, Kunshan, on August 3.

Yu Jiulin in Kunqu opera costume. [Photo from Yu Jiulin Studio's WeChat account]

The opening ceremony will include performances from young artists from Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater and a lecture from Wang Shiyu, an established Kunqu opera artist who won the Plum Blossom Award in 1986.

Wang, who masters young man's roles in Kunqu opera, has been a mentor to Yu Jiulin since 2003, after Yu, a Bacheng native won a performance award at the first Kunqu opera festival, organized by the Culture Ministry, in 2000, with the leading male role in a Kunqu opera classic The Palace of Eternal Youth.

Yu Jiulin plays the leading male character Liu Mengmei in Kunqu opera The Peony Pavilion. [Photo from Yu Jiulin Studio's WeChat account]

After the opening ceremony, the studio will be fully operational. Its functions will include arranging performances, fostering Kunqu opera talent, educating the public and hosting seminars relating to Kunqu opera and other traditional arts.

The studio is housed inside a Chinese courtyard building featuring traditional architectural and garden designs. And it will act as a space for Kunqu opera masters to share thoughts and for new learners of the art to absorb knowledge and hone in their performing skills.