Gong Linna is a vocalist known for her specialism in new art music in China. She is an active figure on the world music stage today, having been commended for being a “soulful singer” and “a real vocalist”. She was born in Guizhou province in the southwestern part of China in 1975and graduated from the China Conservatory where she trained in National Vocal Music in 1999. She began working as a team with the German composer, Robert Zollitsch in giving new interpretations of Chinese art songs and performing them on the international concert stage.
Gong has dedicated herself to exploring the various vocalisation techniques of Chinese opera and folk songs, and has ingeniously incorporated many of them in the new art songs composed for her by Robert Zollitsch. In 2010, her song Tante (Uneasy) went viral on the internet and was dubbed a “divine melody” by the netizens, catapulting Gong to instant fame all over China. In 2013, her songs Fahai, You Don’t Understand Love, Monkey King Bar, and Falling in Love with the Big Fool attracted equally widespread attention and comments.
Gong and her new Chinese art music have a pioneering influence on contemporary Chinese music, serious music and pop music. In addition to popularizing vocal music, Gong is also committed to setting ancient poetry to song as well as engaging in the research and education of traditional vocal music.
