What the critics have said
Selected reviews, features and interviews from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, NPR, CNN Asia, and beyond.
American Musicians are doing something profound in Beijing right now
While Chinese and American leaders meet in a contentious moment, the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra and their Chinese counterparts find harmony.
As Leaders Meet, Musicians from Philadelphia Orchestra Tour China
The visit, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the orchestra's pathbreaking 1973 visit to Beijing, drew praise from President Biden and President Xi Jinping of China.
Hao Jiang Tian: How do Tang poems interact and blend with Western art forms like opera?
田浩江：唐诗如何与歌剧等西方艺术碰撞交融？
Opera Star Hao Jiang Tian Bridges East and West
Opera singer Hao Jiang Tian, who starred in Tang Jianping's 'Voyage to the East' in New York, is strengthening cultural ties between the East and West.
Hated Music, but Hear Him Now: From Cultural Revolution Chaos to Metropolitan Fame
A New York Times profile tracing Hao Jiang Tian's journey from the chaos of the Cultural Revolution — when he was forbidden from music — to international fame as a bass at the Metropolitan Opera.
Nurturing a Star of Opera's Next Generation
A feature on veteran bass Hao Jiang Tian and his young protégé soprano Guanqun Yu, tracing Tian's journey from the Cultural Revolution to the Met and his work mentoring the next generation through I Sing Beijing.
How Do You Say 'Nessun Dorma' in Mandarin?
A Wall Street Journal feature on 'I Sing Beijing,' a program training Western singers to perform Chinese opera in Beijing, founded by Hao Jiang Tian.
Opera Buffet
A Talk of the Town look at bass Hao Jiang Tian and his wife Martha Liao's legendary Peking duck dinners for friends and fellow artists after performances.
East Is East, and West Is West, but the Twain Are Now Meeting in Opera
With gleaming new performing arts centers and hungry audiences, China is embracing Western grand opera and producing works of its own.
Hao Jiang Tian: 'From Mao to the Met'
For more than 20 years, Tian's basso voice has filled major American opera houses. As one of the few Chinese stars in opera, his life story has been as remarkable as his work.
3 Generations of Chinese Women Find Voice in Opera
A New York Times review of the world premiere of Stewart Wallace and Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter at San Francisco Opera, featuring Hao Jiang Tian as Chang the Coffinmaker.
Tan Dun’s “The First Emperor” at the Met
A major critical essay on Tan Dun's The First Emperor at the Metropolitan Opera, featuring Tian as General Wang in a landmark production starring Plácido Domingo.
Postmodernism in a poetic wrapping
A review of Guo Wenjing's Poet Li Bai at the Beijing Music Festival, praising Hao Jiang Tian's tirelessly heroic performance in the title role.
Chinese 725 Salon: Hao Jiang Tian
A conversation and performance with Hao Jiang Tian at the Asia Society. The salon series brings together leading voices in arts and culture for intimate discussions. In this session, Tian reflects on his journey from Beijing to the Metropolitan Opera, shares insights on bridging Eastern and Western musical traditions, and performs selections that showcase the breadth of his repertoire — from Chinese folk songs to Verdi arias.
The remarkable life and career of Hao Jiang Tian
Born in Beijing, Haojiang Tian is an internationally-renowned opera bass cantante. After studying at China's Central Conservatory of Music in 1977, he went to America to further his studies in 1983. In 1991, he was invited to perform at New York's Metropolitan Opera, where he has enthralled audiences for decades. Tian has performed at over 30 renowned opera houses worldwide and sung in over 1,300 performances in 40 operatic roles.
《十三邀 第七季》 ThirteenTalks
Xu Zhiyuan in conversation with Hao Jiang Tian — "When we sing, hardship disappears," and Xu Zhiyuan in conversation with Martha. Each season of Thirteen Talks selects thirteen guests of value as slices of the times, conducting in-depth visits and exchanges through the personal perspective of writer Xu Zhiyuan, touching the emotions and intellectual currents of the era. 许知远对话田浩江｜当我们唱起歌 苦难就消失了, 许知远交谈玛莎. 每一季《十三邀》，将选取十三位具有时代切片价值的嘉宾，以作家许知远的个人视角，展开深度探访与交流，触摸时代情绪与思潮。第七季将继续保持对世界的好奇，用更精确的问题去抵达更精准的探索，在后疫情时代，以更精确的思考、更精准的选题，抵达更宽阔的世界。