Zhang Jun (; born October 1974) is a Chinese

Kunqu Kunqu (), also known as Kunju (), K'un-ch'ü, Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. Kunqu is one of the oldest traditional operas of the Han nationality, and is also a treasure of Chinese traditional cult ...

opera performer. In May 2011, Zhang was awarded the

UNESCO Artist for Peace UNESCO Artists for Peace are international celebrity advocates for the United Nations agency UNESCO. This category of advocate is intended to heighten public awareness in addition to the categories UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador UNESCO Goodwill Amba ...

award for his "long-term commitment to promoting intangible cultural heritage, especially Kunqu Opera." He became the only second Chinese after actress

Gong Li Gong Li (Chinese: 巩俐; born 31 December 1965) is a Chinese actress. She starred in three of the four Chinese-language films that were nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Gong was born in Shenyang, Liaoni ...

to be awarded the title since 2001. The first Kunqu opera singer in China to focus on revitalizing and promoting the ancient art form to a younger generation which he first started in universities and schools in 1998, Zhang's dream is to bring "Kunqu to an international stage" for people everywhere in the world to appreciate this ancient Chinese art. Currently in London and New York on a one-man contemporary performance of ''I, Hamlet'', which is an adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', he plays four key roles telling the classic tale through a Kunqu monologue.

Personal life

Born to farmers, Zhang grew up in Shanghai's Qingpu District. At 12, he was the only boy selected from 2,000 candidates by the Shanghai Traditional Opera School to learn the traditional opera Kunqu which he trained intensively for eight years.

References

Living people 1974 births Singers from Shanghai Male Kunqu actors Male actors from Shanghai 20th-century Chinese male singers 20th-century Chinese male actors Affiliated Chinese Opera School of Shanghai Theatre Academy alumni Shanghai Theatre Academy alumni 21st-century Chinese male singers {{opera-singer-stub