A rose by any other name

She's Ying Huang to some, Huang Ying to others and she's also Princess Pamina, Chochosan and Madame White Snake. Zhang Kun sorts through the nomenclature and takes a closer look at the artiste.

Huang Ying is better known as Ying Huang, the name on her Facebook page as well as her official website. And, the coloratura soprano from China is also well known from her various roles in opera.

For example, she's Princess Pamina in the Metropolitan Opera House production of The Magic Flute, Chochosan in the Puccini's Madame Butterfly, and Madame White Snake in the namesake opera adapted from Chinese folklore.

Only when she returns to her hometown, Shanghai, does she revert to being Huang Ying - the girl who was the lead singer in the children's palace choir, an aspiring student at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and a simple woman who enjoys a bowl of little wanton soup at the neighborhood food stall.

She recently staged a concert at the Shanghai Grand Theater in October, her first recital back home, after 20 years on the international stage. Following that, Huang went on tour through November, visiting Beijing, Shenzhen and Suzhou.

And the difference this time is that she no longer has to fly by herself from place to place.

The loneliest moments as a freelance performer working abroad, Huang says, is during the festive seasons like Christmas or the New Year.

"It's the busiest season, when we travel a lot to perform at Christmas and New Year concerts."

When a show is over, she will pack her bags and leave for the next concert in the next city. Sometimes, as she stands at the backstage door, passersby will recognize her.

"They are usually families in holiday mood and enjoying a night out with good music," Huang says. From the sympathy in their eyes, she would often see herself as a lonely wanderer, traveling alone while everyone else is celebrating with family.

"When you have to travel most of the time, it's difficult to maintain a relationship or have a family," she says.

That's what makes the Shanghai concert so different. She was surrounded by her parents, teachers and friends - all of whom were in the audience applauding her success and sharing her music.

Huang returned to the stage three times for the encores, but the audience was still reluctant to go.

"I chose the songs carefully, to present a complete portfolio of my career for the past decade," Huang told China Daily before the concert.

"I hope audiences in China will get to know me better as an opera artiste, rather than just as a singer at gala concerts."

Her name was still unfamiliar in China until she became one of the lead singers of the theme song for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. She also sang for the opening of the 14th FINA World Championships of water polo in Shanghai last year.

In the past few years, Huang had taken pains to gain more recognition at home.

"It's time for me to reach out to my compatriots," she says, because she feels there is a market for classical music in China now. Besides introducing foreign projects, she wants to be involved in educating Chinese audiences. She has added more Chinese art songs to her repertoire, and will do more crossover projects to reach a broader base.

Huang has already started. She played the female lead in Tan Dun's original opera The Peony Pavilion, Guo Wenjing's Li Bai, and the title role in Zhou Long's Madame White Snake in 2009. The last work, an Opera Boston premiere, won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2010.