Stardom, instant sold-out tickets, fan clubs, the TV show Super-Vocal (2018) produced by Hunan Television, brings 36 trained vocalists into the spotlight. 

Wang Kai, 35 years old, is one of them. As an outstanding tenor, his breathtaking voice has conquered audiences with sheer poetry.

Working at the National Centre for the Performing Arts as an opera actor, Wang Kai now shines like a diamond on the stage. However, along the road he chased a musical dream that is full of obstacles.

In person, Wang Kai is decent, good-humored, charming, and usually modest. Beyond the stage, switching from personal development to promoting national culture, his plan is to bring traditional Chinese culture to the Western world.

As a real artist with responsibility on his shoulders, Wang brings the traditional Chinese arts to the world. Photo: Courtesy of Wang Kai

 No pain no gain

Perseverance has been Wang Kai's lifelong faith, which supports his pursuit of his opera dream since a teenager.

When asked how to encourage students majoring in music to stick their career pursuit, Wang Kai told the Global Times, "When you give up, it's not because you are not excellent enough, it's just because you've lost your faith."

Living without a parents' cocoon from an early age, he earned a living in a bar on Wangfujing street, Beijing as a lounge singer since he was a freshman at college. At 30 yuan for each song, he could roughly sing six songs a day. "I expect someone to celebrate a birthday during that time," he said. "A birthday song could earn 50 or 100 yuan in tips." 

Singing on a small stage, but still dreaming a big dream, he grasps every opportunity that is thrown at him. As one of millions of vocalist-wannabes, he left the fear behind, trying to be the boldest dreamer.

"I dreamed of a solo performance on a big stage like Poly Theater when I was nobody in the bar," Wang said. "Now it's pretty easy to finish."

Leading the road

The fans of Super-Vocal cover various age groups from millennials to older people. "I do have grandma fans," he said. He told the Global Times that most of his fans are not young people. On the contrary, many of them are middle-aged, who already have an outstanding career.

Critics always come with fame, but Wang Kai doesn't mind that his audiences appeal to his good appearance at the first glimpse. 

"People started to get interested in Super-Vocal because of our appearance, but they fall in love with the real classical music gradually," Wang said. 

The TV show is not only growing in popularity, but also becoming iconic, which altered people's perceptions of classical music. People who used to know little about classical music enter the theater with an appreciation for quality art.

"Super-Vocal ignites people's eagerness towards a high standard of art which has always been there," Wang said.

Wang is a musician who hopes to see the increasing popularization of musical classics in China, and who takes promoting classic art as a big responsibility.

His smile could not be hidden when he saw the tremendous growth of classical music fans. "Opera and classical music will thrive in China in the next decade because of Super-Vocal," he said.

Bring it on 

Although the sudden fame does bring benefits to him personally, he appreciates the musical aesthetics among Chinese audiences most.

Before the TV show exploded, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism had set up the National Arts Fund in 2013 to support domestic opera and classical music development. The funds have subsidized 4,013 projects, which cost 3.34 billion yuan ($484 million) in total. 

"With the support of the art fund, opera with Chinese characteristics could be a new way to promote traditional Chinese culture worldwide," Wang said. 

Related TV shows, which focus on promoting traditional Chinese arts, followed behind as well.

The TV musical Everlasting Classics (2018) (Jingdianyongliuchuan) produced by CCTV-1, combines music with traditional Chinese culture, inviting different musicians in each episode to sing various Tang and Song dynasties poetry with elegant melody. 

Wang Kai is the best choice to present the brand new performance. With other three vocalists on the show, Yijianmei, a classic Chinese poem using typical bel canto was presented perfectly.

The combination of poems and bel canto promotes cultural fusion between countries. 

From his perspective, bringing the Western vocal skills into China is refreshing to Chinese audiences. At the same time, it's more acceptable to appreciate traditional Chinese lyrics with their own singing skills for the Western audiences. 

"It is to make the past serve the present and foreign things serve China," Wang said.

Scan the QR code to watch the exclusive interview with Wang Kai