“The Moon Over the River on a Spring Night,” a Kunqu opera starring and produced by Zhang Jun, will be staged in Shenzhen next month.

The creation of the opera was inspired by Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Zhang Ruoxu, whose signature work “The Moon Over the River on a Spring Night” is rated as one of the most influential poems of his time. The opera tells a story about the poet’s affection for a young lady, and hence his unusual experiences in the real and nether worlds. The opera premiered in 2015 and has been well received by fans and critics during its national tour.

Zhang Jun, 47, has been challenging for decades the boundaries of how Kunqu can be presented with avant-garde ideas. He resigned from his job as deputy director of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and founded the Zhang Jun Kunqu Art Center in 2009. Since then, he and his team have created several box-office sensations in and out of China, including “Peony Pavilion” and “I, Hamlet.”

Many of his groundbreaking performances fuse jazz, electronic and rock music with traditional Kunqu opera. His concert “Kunplug,” held in 2018 in Shanghai, attracted thousands of audience members. This was almost a miracle in the Kunqu opera circle.

Innovation, however, isn’t always echoed by applause. Some audiences and critics complain that Zhang adds too much pop culture into this 600-year-old opera. During his interview with CGTN, he said that he has never been daunted by controversy or criticism. “We put 100 percent of our passion in our work and let the audience feel the emotions we try to convey.”

“To give the past a better future” was the promise Zhang made when receiving the UNESCO Artist of Peace award in May 2011. Since 1998, he and his colleagues have been actively popularizing the art of Kunqu among college students. “We will leave the stage sooner or later. We hope we can leave some valuable performances that young people can learn and discuss in the future. That’s the most fulfilling thing for me,” he said.

Time: 7:30 p.m., July 25

Tickets: 80-580 yuan

Booking: WeChat account “GuangmingArtCenter”

Venue: Guangming Culture and Art Center, Guanguang Road, Guangming District (光明区观光路光明文化艺术中心)

Metro: Line 6 to Fenghuang Town Station (凤凰城站), Exit B

(SD News)