ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

After my MFA, I sought work on Broadway.

As a young Chinese woman, I quickly realized the challenges. With a background in music and fluent in three opera languages, I decided to give opera a try. I emailed every company in North America and soon landed a position with the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. I’ve never looked back.

I joined major opera houses like the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Houston Grand Opera and, with time, began directing my own productions. One of my proudest moments was directing the world premiere of The Diary of John Rabe, the story of the Rape of Nanking. It premiered at China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts and became the first non-Western canon opera invited to Staatsoper Berlin and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.

Unfamiliar with American colleges, my father suggested three criteria: cold weather to build character; near the ocean to broaden the mind; a strong humanities and social sciences focus. When I applied those filters, ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ was a perfect match. I found my home in the English and theater departments.

I’m endlessly curious about the stories people carry—the struggles, triumphs, and perspectives that shape our humanity. Opera offers a rich canvas to explore these narratives. People often tell me they forgot they were watching “opera” in my productions. I credit my ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ education. Every opera I direct is rooted in dramaturgical analysis—no gesture or movement is random. This meticulous attention to detail surprises those outside of theater, but it’s the essence of our craft.

(I also thank Professor Davis Robinson for recognizing my talent for directing in my first directing class and encouraging me.)

Dreams don’t just happen. I spent my first three years at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ waiting for life to start, but when I took control, everything changed.

This story first appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Magazine. Manage your subscription and see other stories from the magazine on the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Magazine website.