Celebrating a Chinese veteran of the opera

Warren Mok, Hong Kong tenor.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"It's been about 20 years since I performed with only a piano," says Mok, who usually sings with symphony orchestras.

The tenor says that showing off his singing technique is not his top priority now after more than three decades of performing at home and abroad. "With a simple instrument, I want to deliver the music purely with my voice. This is what I am aiming at this time," he says.

This year, the tenor has released his crossover album, titled Mr Mok, in which he performs 12 pop songs in an operatic singing style.

"Opera is often regarded as an art for the elites. With this album, I want to let people know that operatic singing is versatile," says Mok.

In 2011, Dai Yuqiang, Wei Song and Mok formed China's Three Tenors, which is the country's answer to the globally acclaimed trio comprising Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.

The three tenors made their debut in Beijing and have since toured more than 30 cities around the world, including New York, London and Cologne.

The London-based newspaper, The Guardian, says: "His technique is rock solid, with beautiful even timbre, and an engaging enthusiasm on stage; ringing top notes were attacked and held in rock-like Pavarotti vein."

Besides singing, Mok has played other roles since moving back to Hong Kong in 1995, such as being the artistic director of the Macau International Music Festival; the founder and artistic director of Opera Hong Kong and a guest professor of music schools such as the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

In 2014, Mok was invited to be the artistic director of the Fujian Grand Theater and this year he made his directorial debut in opera with La Boheme, which was performed by Fujian Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Chinese conductor Zhang Guoyong. American tenor Jonathan Tetelman played the role of Rodolfo.

"The story of La Boheme is timeless and since the opera inspired me to become a tenor, I've always dreamt of making a version based on my own understanding," says Mok. "For the audience, the opera is a great start to learn about the art form."

"As a singer, my focus is to talk to the audience through my singing. As a producer, I look at everything. As a teacher, I want to inspire my students to find their own style of singing. Those are different kind of enjoyment and the core is music," he says.