Li Yugang (; born July 23, 1978) is a Chinese singer, artist, and soloist with the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater. A National First-Class Actor, he specialises in nándàn (男旦) roles, male performances of female parts, in Peking opera.
Born into a farming family in Jilin province, Li was unable to attend college and worked various jobs before becoming a club singer in Xi'an. It was there that his ability to sing in both male and female registers was discovered when he filled in for an absent colleague. Li rose to prominence in 2006 after placing third on the talent show Star Boulevard and has since released music, performed internationally, and expanded into writing, cultural promotion, and filmmaking.
Early life
Born in 1978 to a farming family in Jilin, Li was accepted into the provincial Art College but could not attend due to financial constraints. Following high school, he held various jobs in Changchun before moving to Xi'an to work as a waiter in an entertainment club.
Soon, he was allowed to sing a few songs and became a club singer. His breakthrough came when a female colleague didn't show up and he had to take her place, singing in a female voice. "That's how I started with female roles," recalled Li Yugang. The ability to perform in both male and female vocal ranges led to a full-time position. From 1998 to 2006, Li trained professionally to develop skills in nándàn, the traditional Peking opera practice of men portraying female characters.
Career
Early years In 2006, Li rose to prominence after placing third on Star Boulevard (), a national talent competition on CCTV. His performances of "Farewell My Concubine" () and "The Drunken Beauty" (), both from the Peking Opera repertoire, gained him significant public attention.
The following year, Li gave his first solo performance in Beijing, titled "Where Flowers are Unbounded" (). In April 2008, he performed at the "2008 United Nations Spring Cultural Festival" at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. In 2009, he joined the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater and was awarded the title of National First-Class Actor. That same year, Li performed at the Sydney Opera House, becoming the second Chinese artist to do so, and was awarded the Southern Cross Gold Prize for Culture by the Australian Government.
Stage In 2010 and 2011, Li developed the stage productions "Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" ( and "The Painting of Four Beauties" (, respectively, performing over 100 shows domestically and internationally. In 2015, he directed and starred in "Lady Zhaojun" (, an Oriental Poetic Stage production that took three years to prepare. It premiered in Beijing from 16–19 April 2015.
A new musical adaptation of "Lady Zhaojun" premiered at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on 26 April 2019, followed by a global tour in June. By 8 December 2019, the production had completed 46 performances. Following a hiatus, the tour was scheduled to resume in 2023.
Music In 2010, Li Yugang released his debut album "The New Drunken Beauty" (, and then released "Dream-chasing Chant" () and "Lotus" (. In 2014, the Rhymoi Music company released Li Yugang's "Once Upon a Time in Shanghai" ( CD album.
On 10 November 2016, the single "Happened to meet you" () was released for the 10th anniversary of his debut and the self-titled album was released in 2017. "Happened to meet you" stayed on the music charts for 10 weeks, and the music video for the song reached over 100 million views on YouTube. After that, he started the tour of "Li Yugang's 10-year Classic Concert" () on 17 Dec. 2016.
By now(2023), Li Yugang has released nearly a hundred singles, mainly in Chinese style. He has also blended variety styles like R&B, rap and electronic elements into his music.
Cross-Border In addition to being a stage actor and singer, Li Yugang has also branched out into writing, planning and holding cultural gatherings, promotion of ceramic culture, and film director.
In November 2016, his first literary work "The beauty I met" () which recorded his pilgrimage to China's intangible cultural heritage with words and pictures was published. At the end of 2016, Li 's art space "Jade Space" () was completed in Beijing, extending his love and obsession with traditional culture from stage art to life aesthetics. In May 2021, after the "Jade Space" in Beijing and Suzhou, Li Yugang's porcelain culture-themed art space - "Jade Workshop" () was unveiled in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province.
In 2019, the short film "A Date After Twilight", Li directed and starred, was set as the opening film of the 86358 Short Film Exchange Week hosted by Jia Zhangke Art Center. On 30 March 2023, Li has begun filming his feature directorial debut "Nostalgia in the Cloud" ().
Stage works
2010 "Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" () 2011 "The Painting of Four Beauties" () 2012 "The new Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" () 2019 "Lady Zhaojun" ()
Director's works YearTitleEnglish TitleCredited asType2023雲上的雲Nostalgia In The CloudsDirector, Writer, ActorFeature film2019人約黃昏後A Date After Twilight Director, ActorShort film2017般若號角Prajna HornDirector, ActorMusical2015昭君出塞Lady ZhaojunDirector, ActorMusical
Discography Singles 2024DateTitleEng. Title2024-02-05長春Chang-Chun 2023DateTitleEng. Title2023-09-29九州Nine Provinces2023-09-27絶色江西Stunning Jiangxi2023-06-09刻木成香Memories of Woodcarving2023-03-31刚好遇见你 - 长安幻想Happened to Meet You - Chang'an Fantasy2023-01-20豫見*Encounter Henan2023-01-01山河一脈*China 2022DateTitleEng. Title2022-12-22暖暖Warm2022-12-19故人酒Wine for Old Friends2022-09-17心憂天下Worried about the World2022-09-12賦得古原草送別Ode to Farewell in the Ancient Grassland2022-09-02阿里郎回故鄉*Arirang2022-08-17鷓鴣天杯滄海Partridge Sky2022-06-08瓷語Porcelain's Talk2022-06-03四方明月Moonlight Everywhere2022-05-21繞Winding2022-04-28誅仙忘塵 ZhuXian - Forget the Mundane World2022-04-27把酒問月Ask the Moon With a Cup of Wine in Hand2022-04-22姑蘇Gu-Su2022-04-04清明客Missing my hometown on Qingming Festival2022-03-05新霸王別姬New Farewell My Concubine2022-02-21羽生Feather Falls for Rebirth2022-01-27世界飛馳吧*Fly Me to the World2022-01-22窗花Paper-cut for Window Decoration2022-01-21青城不老*Qing-Cheng2022-01-15華夏Hua-Xia2022-01-01長安行Changan Trip 2021DateTitleEng. Title2021-12-15追風趕月的你You who Chase the Wind and the Moon2021-11-25定風波Calming the Storm2021-11-23東方不敗*Swordsman2021-11-22經山海Traveling through The Classic of Mountains and Seas 2021-10-31俠客行Ode to Gallantry2021-09-25水調歌頭·遊覽Prelude To Water Melody-Tour2021-09-17天下大足Da-zu2021-09-12赤伶(交響樂版)The Red Actors(Symphony Edition)2021-08-26一場煙雨*Misty Rain2021-08-07一剪梅*A Spray of Plum Blossoms2021-07-03畫眸Painting Eyes2021-07-01記號Sign2021-06-09歸夢長Homecoming Dream2021-05-04萬疆Vast Territory2021-04-08將軍嘆General's Sigh 2020DateTitleEng. Title2020-12-11霓裳飛花Rainbow Skirts Flying Flowers2020-12-08古都風色*Ancient Densing2020-11-27一念拂曉Dawning in a Moment2020-11-02茉莉茶歌The Song of Jasmine Tea2020-10-21滿弦Full Moon2020-10-03月半望雲山Look Over the Cloud-covered Mountains with a Full Moon 2020-09-24紅昭愿Zhaojun's Wishes2020-09-11花木蘭*Mulan2020-08-08遇見桑羅Meet SANGLUO2020-07-31黍離Lush Broomcorn Millet2020-07-18昭君出塞Zhaojun Goes Out of The Frontier2020-06-29無塵Out of the World2020-06-17白首*Growing Old Together2020-06-17赤伶The Red Actors2020-05-14將進酒Invitation to Wine2020-05-06落緣Lost Fate2020-04-18清明上河圖Along the River During the Qingming Festival2020-04-17善念起Right Mindfulness Arise 2019DateTitleEng. Title2019-12-20七子新歌*New Song of Seven Sons2019-10-27夢回誅仙Dream back to ZhuXian2019-09-08浮雲散Floating Clouds Parted2019-07-23長春*Chang-Chun2019-05-08我只在乎你*I Only Care About You2019-04-06和項王歌Ode to Emperor Xiang2019-02-19梨花頌Ode to Pear Blossoms2019-01-24傳人Heirs 2018DateTitleEng. Title2018-12-21月兒彎彎*Curvy Moon2018-11-29夜將至*Nightfall2018-11-28蝶戀Butterfly Love2018-10-31遇見旗袍*Meet Cheongsam2018-09-24我一直在這裏*I've Been Here2018-06-02菩提Bodhi2018-05-26陌上風雅 Field Elegance2018-04-18花魁Oiran2018-04-09如初As Beginning2018-04-03寶頂之巔Top of Bao-Ding Mountain2018-02-27獨孤天下*The Legent of Du-gu 2012-2017DateTitleEng. Title2017-11-03天地有靈Animism2016-12-10天池南South of Heaven Lake2016-01-19國色天香(對唱版)National Beauty (Duet Version)2015-02-12李Li2015-01-19再見，貝兒Farewell, Bei-Er2014-01-24國色天香National Beauty2014-01-22日日紅上海Shanghai Memory2014-01-22于是探戈Let's Tango2014-01-22與天使同在Be with angels2012-02-28雨花石Yuhua Stone (English titles with "*" are from the official.) Studio albums DateTitleLiteral English Translation2021-09-15《李玉剛合輯》Li Yugang Compilation2021-08-26《李玉剛懷舊集》Li Yugang Nostalgic Collection2017-04-05《剛好遇見你》Happened to Meet You2014-12-04《蓮花》The Lotus2014-11-11《民國舊夢》Once upon A Time in Shanghai2011-12-15《逐夢令》Dream-chasing Chant2010-12-28《新貴妃醉酒》The New Drunken Beauty (Drunken Concubine)2010-12-22《嫦娥奔月》Chang’e Flying to the Moon2010-01-01《遊園驚夢》Startling Dream (Peony Pavilion)
EP DateTitleLiteral English Translation2022-11-04《追風趕月的你》You who Chase the Wind and the Moon2021-08-10《四美圖》The Painting of Four Beauties2018-11-07《禪意三部曲》*Buddhist Mood Trilogy2015-02-13《李》Li
Live album of Musical DateTitleLiteral English Translation2012-12-26《新镜花水月》2012全国巡演原声大碟"New Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" 2012 National Tour Original Soundtrack (CD)2011-12-15《四美圖》國家大劇院首演實況DVD"The Painting of Four Beauties" Live DVD Premiere at the National Center for the Performing Arts2011-05-23《鏡花水月》李玉剛新春演歌會" Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" Chinese New Year Concert (DVD)2011-05-03《镜花水月》演歌會原聲大碟"Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" Concert Original Soundtrack (CD)2011-04-20《鏡花水月》2010全球巡演日本演歌會"Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" 2010 World Tour in Japan (DVD)
References
External links
Li Yugang's space on Bilibili
李玉剛全球歌友會 Li Yugang Global Fan Club (Facebook) CCTV-星播客-男扮女装李玉刚