Born and raised in Shanghai, Zheng began to learn the piano at 6, and enrolled to study composition at the Central Conservatory of Music in 1952. In 1960, she pursued further studies in opera, symphony and conducting at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. On Oct 1,1961, she conducted her first concert in Moscow, which she dedicated to the 12th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. In 1963, she conducted Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca in the Russian capital, becoming the first Chinese conductor to perform in an international opera house.

Before retirement, Zheng was dean of the conducting department at the Central Conservatory of Music and principal conductor of the China National Opera House.

"Performing (Western) operas in Chinese resonates more with Chinese audiences," says Zheng, who has been promoting Chinese adaptations for years. In 2011, a year after she started the Zheng Xiaoying Opera Center, Zheng adapted Verdi's La Traviata, the first Chinese adaptation to be produced in Xiamen.

"Many young opera singers now have the experience of studying abroad and can speak different languages, such as Italian and German. But for the Chinese audience, language is a barrier to enjoying opera, especially to those who may never have watched a production before," Zheng says. "By producing Chinese adaptations of Western operas, we will have more viewers in the future."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn