Xiu Ben Chen
Cantonese Opera Vocal Tradition
Master Ben (Xiu Ben Chen) is a fifth-generation Cantonese opera musician, practitioner, and teaching artist dedicated to preserving and transmitting the rich traditions of Cantonese opera. He began learning from his father, fourth-generation master musician Zi Ping Chen, and was later selected through a highly competitive examination to attend the prestigious Guangdong Cantonese Opera School (广东粤剧学校), where he received rigorous professional training in this traditional art form.
Following his formal education, Master Ben performed for many years as a musician and practitioner with a professional government Cantonese opera troupe in China, developing extensive experience in traditional performance practice.
Since immigrating to the United States, Master Ben has devoted more than 30 years to teaching and performing within the Chinese American community. Through Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Institute, he has mentored numerous students of all ages, preserving both the Cantonese language and the artistic traditions embodied in Cantonese opera. His teaching follows traditional lineage-based methods of demonstration, careful listening, repetition, and disciplined practice. In recent years, he has also embraced innovative approaches that make Cantonese opera more accessible to broader audiences through bilingual education, community engagement, and intergenerational learning, helping increase appreciation of this UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage.
Master Ben continues a remarkable family legacy alongside his father, wife, and children, who represent the sixth generation of Cantonese opera practitioners. Through his artistry, mentorship, and lifelong commitment to cultural transmission, he continues to inspire new generations and ensure that Cantonese opera remains a vibrant living tradition in California.
Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Institue
Apprenticeship Program
2026
Cantonese Opera Vocal Tradition with apprentice Esther Tang
Esther Tang will learn from 5th-generation musician and teacher Xiu Ben Chen the traditional vocal practices of Cantonese opera, a performing art from southern China that brings together music, singing, stylized performance, and storytelling. Building on her prior foundational study, Esther will deepen her skills in advanced vocal technique, musical interpretation, phrasing, ornamentation, tonal accuracy, expressive singing, and repertoire development. Through this lineage-based apprenticeship, she will continue progressing toward advanced-level performance while helping sustain and carry forward the Cantonese opera tradition.
