Abstract
This research explores the introduction and integration of Western bel canto techniques into Chinese national vocal music. By combining historical analysis with cross-cultural comparison, it traces how Chinese national vocal music has gradually absorbed bel canto techniques and methods beginning from the May Fourth Movement of 1919 to the present.
Drawing on four doctoral recital projects - including preparation, rehearsal and performance - I reflect on my own practice to investigate how bel canto techniques have shaped Chinese vocal music across multiple dimensions, including programme order choices, musical analysis and vocal pedagogy. The findings reveal that incorporating bel canto techniques into Chinese national vocal music not only increases the technical demands placed on performers but also enriches the expressive capacity of Chinese national vocal music, allowing works to achieve greater artistic diversity and interpretive depth while preserving their cultural essence.
This study highlights how integrating the diversity and local cultural characteristics of Chinese national vocal music with bel canto training provides a model for balancing innovation and tradition. This approach offers valuable insights for cross-cultural vocal pedagogy, repertoire development and sustainable artistic practice. The study identifies future directions, providing new pathways for the continued evolution of Chinese national vocal music in a globalised context.