Cantonese Opera grand master dies in Hong Kong at age 92
Fung Wah, who was born in Foshan and moved to the city in the late 1940s, represented the old operatic school
The direct lineage of the old Cantonese operatic school has ended with the passing of its grand master.
Fung Wah, a renowned leader of Cantonese operatic troupes since the 1950s, died of pneumonia at Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital on Monday night. He was 92 and is survived by his wife and three daughters.
“The music flow was varied but father knew how to lead and keep all the voices in unison and in balance even without a music score,” she added.
The head of Central Library, Jim Chang Hok-yan, echoed Fung Chui-yu’s thoughts: “Master Fung was the disciple of Lui Man-sing and Wan Chi-chung, both dubbed kings of Cantonese music in the 1930s, who imparted their skills through performance rather than textbooks.”
“We approached the master 10 years ago hoping to learn his style and that of his mentors, but we got nothing. Perhaps the score sheet did not exist,” Chang, himself a musician, added.