纪玉良

简介

Ji Yuliang was a famous Peking opera performer specializing in elderly male roles. Born in 1917 in Beijing as Ji Yunfeng, he was passionate about Peking opera from childhood. In 1936, he became a disciple of Ma Sili to study elderly male roles, and in 1937 he officially began his professional career in Beijing. He continued learning from masters such as Chen Xiuhua, Rui Debao, and Zhang Shaofu. In 1940, he went to Shanghai with graduates of the Chinese Opera School, where he changed his name to Ji Yuliang. He performed alongside major stars including Li Shifang, Mao Shilai, Zhang Junqiu, Song Dezhu, Yan Huizhu, and Tong Zhiling. In 1951, he joined the Shanghai People's Peking Opera Troupe and became its leading star. In 1955, the troupe was merged into the Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre. In 1971, he was transferred to teach at the Shanghai "May 7th" Peking Opera Training Class, and in 1978 he returned to the First Troupe of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre. He was distinguished by a bright, wide voice and followed the schools of Tan Xinpei and Ma Lianliang. He excelled in numerous performances including "The General and the Prime Minister" and "Wujia Slope." In the early 1960s, he participated in the creation of modern Peking opera and successfully portrayed the character Shao Jianbo in "Tracks in the Snowy Forest" and "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy," becoming known as the first person to portray Shao Jianbo. He passed away in 2002.