performance of Chinese music by visiting Suzhou Pingtan delegation

Suzhou Pingtan is a regional variety of shuochang (“speak and sing”) and is a popular musical/oral performance art form, dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1270). It combines stories, jokes, music, arias and acting, with the use of props. A plot summary will be given before each of the six pieces. Performers will sing in the Wu dialect, and the lyrics will be subtitled in Mandarin and English. Any Mandarin spoken on stage will be simultaneously interpreted into English by MIIS conference interpretation students.

Established in 1972, Wuzhong District Pingtan Troupe of Suzhou has given over 3,000 performances in China, the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Their performance includes both traditional pieces and new creations based on this traditional style. The troupe has won over 65 prestigious awards in China.