Zhang Liping

Zhang Liping (born 1965) is a Chinese soprano, who has sung leading roles in the opera houses of both Europe and North America. She is particularly known for her portrayal of Madama Butterfly.

Background
Zhang Liping was born in Wuhan, Hubei (about 650 miles south-west of Beijing) and is the daughter of a classical musician and a dancer. She entered the Wuhan Conservatoire to study voice. As a young student, she was selected to sing with Plácido Domingo in Tian'anmen Square. She then moved to Vancouver to study with Canadian mezzo-soprano Phyllis Mailing at the Vancouver Academy of Music. She later joined Vancouver Opera's Young Artist Program and sang throughout Canada in roles such as Mimi (La bohème), Leila (Les pêcheurs de perles), Liu (Turandot), Marguerite (Faust) and Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor). In 1997, she moved to London.

Zhang has sung Lucia Ashton with the Royal Opera Covent Garden and the Deutsche Oper Berlin and also Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto at the Den Norske Opera and the Teatro Regio di Parma.

In 2002, Zhang debuted as Liu (in Turandot) at Covent Garden.

Critical reception
David Cairns of The Times wrote that Zhang sang with "exceptional eloquence and intensity".

David Fingleton, writing in the British newspaper, the Sunday Express, commented that Zhang gave a "clearly-drawn, thoughtful performance" which was a "tour-de-force".

The Detroit News wrote Zhang is "a Butterfly who does more than carry the show; she represents the world standard."

Malcolm Hayes, writing in The Sunday Telegraph, remarked that: "The biggest round of applause went to the Liu of Zhang Liping, whose sumptuous soprano had us hanging on her every note." Geoff Brown wrote in The Times, "With Li Ping Zhang's lovelorn Liu, though, sweet drama and music came rolled into one. Her part's vocal perils left her unscathed; each word struck home in the heart in a way no one else's ever did."

Recordings
Liping Zhang's debut disc was released by EMI Classics. The recording features arias by Verdi, Puccini, Bellini, and Donizetti.