| Yu Kuizhi | |||||
| Birth Date: | 15 December 1961 | ||||
| Birth Place: | Shenyang, Liaoning, China | ||||
| Children: | 1 | ||||
| Alma Mater: | National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts | ||||
| Occupation: | Peking opera performer | ||||
| Years Active: | 1982–present | ||||
| Known For: | Old sheng roles | ||||
| Employer: | China National Peking Opera Company | ||||
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Yu Kuizhi (Chinese: ; born 15 December 1961) is a Peking opera performer of Hui Chinese ethnicity. He plays the role of elderly men (laosheng) in Peking Opera.
Yu Kuizhi was born in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, into a typical working-class family, his mother being a music instructor and his father being a level eight fitter. He was inspired by his mother since he was little, and was the lead singer in his primary school choir. In April 1972, only 10 years of age, he was selected to learn Peking Opera by the Shenyang Chinese Opera Institute, and was carefully taught by many of the masters of Peking Opera. He laid a solid foundation in all aspects of Peking Opera, and at the age of 13 he had been given a main role as a child in the modern Peking opera, “Da Lu Ge”, which he performed hundreds of times and received positive responses from.[1] [2]
In order to further his studies in the art of Peking Opera, he gave up his wages from the Shenyang Chinese Opera Institute and went to Beijing to audition for the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, the top institution for studying Peking Opera. He graduated in 1982 with excellency in all his subjects, and was chosen to be part of the China National Peking Opera Company's No. 1 Troupe.
During his career, he has cooperated with many other senior Peking Opera artists, and has performed across Asia, Europe and America.[3] In 1992, he married Leung Yee Mai from Hong Kong. They had their son Yu Wing Leung (Ferdi) in 1998.