An Australian musician is channelling the profound disorientation of personal grief into a groundbreaking theatrical production. Mindy Meng Wang, a virtuoso of the ancient Chinese guzheng, has created a contemporary Chinese cyber-opera inspired by the elaborate, three-day funeral she organised for her father in north-west China in 2015.
From Ritual Grief to Theatrical Innovation
Reflecting on the experience, Wang describes it as "completely shocking and disorienting." The prescribed rites, which included burning paper effigies, ritualised crying, and prayer chants, felt alienating. She was even criticised for her genuine crying, expected instead to perform exaggerated wails at specific moments for certain guests. A decade later, this complex collision of deep personal sorrow and rigid tradition forms the emotional core of her new work, 'Opera for the Dead 祭歌'.
The one-hour immersive show opens this week at Sydney Festival, with an encore season scheduled for Melbourne in February 2025. It represents Wang's most ambitious project to date, blending live guzheng music and singing with 3D-mapped projections and vivid animations. Audiences will walk through an environment featuring six moving stages, video screens, and five performers, including a countertenor and a cellist.
A Fusion of Ancient Instrument and Modern Sound
Wang's journey to this point began in Lanzhou, China, where she started learning the 2,500-year-old guzheng at just six years old. Under a strict regime of up to eight hours of daily practice, she became a prodigy, receiving offers from China's top conservatoriums by age 16. Her path shifted dramatically when her father suggested a UK exchange programme. At 16, she travelled alone to London, an experience that broadened her musical horizons and led her to study musicology instead of returning home.
Her career flourished in Europe, playing in the esteemed Silk String Quartet and later in Damon Albarn's pop opera 'Monkey: Journey to the West'. After her father's death, she moved permanently to Melbourne, where she has continually pushed the boundaries of her instrument. "I always want to do something that hasn't been done before," Wang states, highlighting her drive for innovation.
Exploring Materialism and Spirituality in Modern Rituals
Co-created with Malaysian-born Chinese Australian composer Monica Lim, the cyber-opera sprang from conversations about funeral rituals across the Chinese diaspora. The duo were fascinated by the contradiction between spirituality and contemporary materialism. Wang notes the evolution from burning symbolic paper money to burning paper iPhones, Mercedes cars, and even credit cards. Other practices have been adapted for convenience, such as using pre-recorded chanting machines, a sight that shocked Wang during her father's ceremony.
Despite its deeply personal and culturally specific origins, Wang emphasises that 'Opera for the Dead 祭歌' is designed for universal accessibility. "You don't need certain knowledge to be able to enjoy the show," she says, hoping each audience member will have a unique emotional experience, from the poignant to the unexpectedly light.
The show runs 15-18 January at the Neilson Nutshell in Walsh Bay as part of Sydney Festival, before its Melbourne season at Arts House from 6 February to 1 March.
