Singing in Mandarin : A Guide to Chinese Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire

Chinese composers have a growing presence on international stages, and Mandarin-language vocal repertoire is becoming richer and more prevalent. Singing in Mandarin is the definitive guide for singing in Mandarin. The first part focuses on the sounds of the Chinese language while the second focuses on the classical vocal repertoire in Mandarin.

With Chinese art forms gaining notoriety worldwide, it is only natural for there to be an uptick in interest in Chinese classical music. The expanding market in Chinese classical music, as well as the growing fame of Chinese composers, pave way for a new lucrative career in Mandarin-language vocalism. Singing in Mandarin: A Guide to Chinese Lyric Diction is a comprehensive guide to mastering vocal repertoire in Mandarin.

In part one, Katherine Chu and Juliet Petrus focus on diction and language, providing detailed descriptions on how to create the exact sounds and pronunciations through International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and ‘Pinyin’. Part two outlines the historical context of Mandarin vocal tradition, chronicling the development of the language and Chinese vocal repertoire over the last 100 years. Audio files narrated by native speakers demonstrating the sounds are also included.

Singing in Mandarin provides guidance for both novices and those with previous experience singing or speaking in Mandarin and is the first book of its kind to help bring the rich, previously inaccessible heritage of Chinese vocal music to Western audiences.