Celebrating Carmen's 150th Anniversary with a Star-Studded Opera Evening

(Left) PolyU President, Prof. Jin-Guang Teng (4th from left), expresses gratitude for the enthusiasm shown by Dr Warren Mok (3rd from right) and Ms Bing Bing Wang (4th from right) in sharing their opera experience with the PolyU community.
(Right) Dr Mok and Ms Wang provide professional coaching to PolyU singers during the masterclass session.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Georges Bizet's Carmen, ENGL launched a series of events including talks, music performance, flamenco performance, and film screening, starting from March 2025. The programme continued in May with "An Evening of Opera with Dr Warren Mok and Ms Bing Bing Wang." This event was jointly hosted by ENGL and the Culture Promotion Committee. With over 550 guests, it has been one of the most popular Carmen events so far.

President Jin-Guang Teng opened the evening, reaffirming the University’s commitment to fostering arts education and cultural exchange. The event was hosted by student MCs Nicole Wang Yanning from ENGL and Nicholas Wong Lik Kiu from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. They guided the audience through a programme that included Dr Warren Mok sharing his journey in advancing Hong Kong's opera scene and Ms Bing Bing Wang providing insights into her global career. A highlight of the evening was an interactive masterclass where seven PolyU singers received professional coaching in vocal technique and emotional expression. The event concluded with a selection of performance excerpts of Carmen by Opera Hong Kong singers.

In addition to the President, other distinguished guests included Ir Dr James Lau, BBS, JP, PolyU Council Member and University Fellow; Mr Arthur Lee, MH, Treasurer of the University; Prof. Li Ping, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities; Ir Prof. Horace Mui, Interim Dean of Students; and Prof. Eric Friginal, Head of ENGL.

Following the success of the Carmen (1983) film screening on 23 June 2025, ENGL will host another Carmen (2003) film screening on 15 September. The celebrations will culminate in two nights of opera performances on 21 – 22 October, featuring Carmen Wong, an adaptation of Bizet’s opera performed by Opera Hong Kong singers. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for these upcoming events.

Stay tuned for more exciting happenings! For further information, visit: https://events.polyu.edu.hk/carmen2025