Biography
Jia Ruhan is a Chinese soprano who performs in plays, as well as in opera, musicals, films and solo recitals. She was born in Shijiazhuang and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
She sang the roles of Queen Mother of Heaven and Guan Yin in the world premiere performance of Damon Albarn's opera, Monkey: Journey To The West on 28 June 2007 at the Palace Theatre, Manchester and later reprised the roles at the Theatre du Châtelet in Paris in September and October of that year. In March 2008, she recorded the BBC Olympic Theme Song for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, also composed by Albarn.
In May 2009, she won the First Prize at the XVIII edition of the Discovery International Pop Music Festival in Varna. The following July, she won the Second Prize in the solo vocal competition at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod (UK).
Her first international album, Time to Grow, was released in 2011. Chinese musical concepts and elements combining with Western forms are the heart of this release which represents a bold and innovative experiment to create a unique world music form. Time To Grow (recorded in Sweden with an accomplished backroom team) features Ruhan performing songs in her native language, originally written for western pop and classical crossover singers which provides a sparkling fusion of styles.
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