THE maestro of the Shaoxing opera genre, Yuan Xuefen, died Saturday at the age of 89, Yuan’s family said Sunday.

    Yuan’s ashes would be scattered over Shanghai’s Huangpu River according to her will, Yuan’s eldest son said.

    Yuan was born in Zhejiang Province, the birthplace of Shaoxing opera. She started performing at the age of 11. She was credited with leading the reform of Shaoxing opera during the 1940s. After she retired in 1985, she became an honorary director of the Shanghai Shaoxing Opera House.

    Yuan is credited with reforming Shaoxing opera with the extensive use of lighting and scenery and a softer style of costuming. She is most known for playing the title role of “Sister Xianglin” by Lu Xun, one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century.

    Shaoxing opera was founded around 1906.

    (SD-Agencies)