I’ve loved to sing since I was very little. My mom would sing traditional Chinese opera at home and I learned a lot of tunes by imitation. I started studying piano when I was seven, but unfortunately that did not charm me into the classical music world. Eventually, in high school, the choir teacher introduced me to a classically trained voice teacher. That's where I first realized this might be where I belong.
At university in China, my voice kept growing and I got to sing more challenging repertoire. I learned more about opera and realized that this dramatic art form is charming and comprehensive. The endless possibilities that unfold from the music and libretto excited me. You could sing, you could act, you could dance – you could possibly be anyone and do anything on an opera stage!
In 2019, my voice teacher from China organized a private summer program for us. We went to the United States and met her voice teacher, who happened to be a former student of McGill professor Michael McMahon. Each of us had a chance to work with Michael in the form of a masterclass. It was my first time working with a professional vocal coach, which made me realize a singer needs to learn so much beyond singing technique!
My first impression when I arrived at McGill was that the Schulich School of Music is a very welcoming society. My voice teacher (Annamaria Popescu) and my vocal coaches (Michael McMahon and Esther Gonthier) were always there whenever I had any questions or difficulties. All my classmates were incredibly warmhearted and always offered help when I struggled with school tasks.
Jingjing Xu performing at the 2022-23 Wirth Vocal Prize competition.
The scholarship from the School – the Wirth Family Fellowship in Music – and the Clara Lichtenstein Memorial Fellowship from McGill allowed me time and energy to focus on my studies. I was relatively behind when I started here in terms of singing in different languages. The diction courses at McGill helped me tremendously in making my diction clear and precise.
For the Wirth Vocal Prize at the Schulich School of Music, you have to assemble a big program and have the ability to perform it on stage under pressure. This is a fantastic opportunity for all participants to polish their package and get professional feedback. It is also a great platform to introduce students to the professional musical scene in Montreal, which brings future engagements and collaboration. When they called my name as the winner, I was crying non-stop. I was aware of my ability and knew what I was capable of, but I never had such feedback from a group of professionals giving me that recognition. From there, I saw that my path in opera singing could be long, which was encouraging.
WATCH: Selections from Jingjing Xu's performance at the 2022-2023 Wirth Vocal Prize competition.
Winning the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition in June 2024 in Helsinki means a lot of new opportunities and a lot of new scenes are opening up in my career. It pushes me towards crossing the border between being a student and becoming a professional singer. The competition itself was thoughtfully organized which provided a relaxed and positive environment. I enjoyed every single part of the process and always felt I was performing and connecting with the audience instead of competing. I highly recommend that McGill voice students apply!
My next stop will be Gütersloh, Germany, where I will be competing in the final rounds of Neue Stimmen. After that, my partner (pianist Christopher Knopp) and I will be moving to Florence this fall and continuing our careers over there. I’ll return to Montreal in March 2025 to perform a recital with the skillful pianists from the McGill-UdeM Piano-Vocal Arts Residency and then move on to another project, “Sapphic Passion,” with Sapphonix. On May 11, 2025, Chris and I will perform a recital – “Once in May” – in Knowlton, where we’ll bring Schumann, Fauré, Britten and Heggie; many thanks to Elizabeth Wirth for making this happen!