Perceptions surrounding the development of personal style in Cantonese opera among artists, connoisseurs, and beginner audiences in Hong Kong

Abstract

Cantonese opera is a representative opera genre from Hong Kong, given much attention and support by the territory’s government. However, current artists tend not to develop their own personal style in favor of imitating previous master performers to earn the audience’s applause. This study aims to determine the perceptions surrounding the development of personal styles of Cantonese opera performances among artists, connoisseurs, and beginner audiences in Hong Kong. We surveyed 530 artists, connoisseurs, and beginner audience members about their thoughts about the issue across six dimensions: Value, Possibility, Audience Expectation, Perception of Artists, Artist–Audience Interaction, and Environment. We used a multivariate analysis of variance process to test whether the perception of these three groups of stakeholders varied by age, sex, or educational background. Findings revealed that the artists’ and audience’s age and their knowledge and experience were critical. Older audience members tended to value personal style and creativity more than younger audience members. Younger artists tended to be more confident about developing their personal style, while older artists were generally not so eager. Therefore, early emphasis on developing personal style in both school education and professional training is vital to both audience building and nurturing creative artists.