New York, NY – In a city where music and theater breathe in unison, mezzo-soprano Ping Gu is emerging as a singular voice—one that carries both cultural depth and emotional clarity. Most recently, Gu captivated audiences in her portrayal of Sappho in Lysistrata, or The Nude Goddess, an opera by Mark Adamo presented by Mannes Opera. Behind that seamless performance, however, lie years of rigorous training, introspection, and a deep commitment to the craft of storytelling.
“I try to live inside the roles,” Ms. Gu said in a recent interview in New York. “When I sang Sappho, I wanted the audience to hear not just her strength, but her vulnerability too.”
Her performance was both commanding and deeply human. With a warm, burnished timbre and impeccable control, Gu brought emotional nuance to a character rooted in classical antiquity but reimagined with modern resonance. The opera, boldly directed, reframes the ancient Greek comedy through a contemporary lens, probing themes of war and peace, gender and power, love and resistance.
Ping Gu as Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (right to left, fourth in the row). Photo courtesy of Mannes Opera.
Ping’s voice—equal parts velvet and steel—seemed tailor-made for the role. She imbued each phrase with dramatic purpose, moving fluidly between lyrical intimacy and soaring expressiveness. “She didn’t just portray Sappho—she became her,” remarked one audience member.
Her artistry, however, is no accident. She holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, one of the United States’ leading conservatories. “MSM gave me both the technical foundation and the artistic confidence to take risks,” she recalled. “What I treasure most is the emphasis on storytelling through music. That’s where I found my voice—not just vocally, but emotionally and intellectually.”
Originally from China, Ping has found in New York a dynamic intersection of tradition and innovation. She credits the city’s diversity and artistic openness with shaping her interpretive style. “There’s incredible freedom here to explore different identities and perspectives through performance,” she said. “It allows me to connect more honestly with each role.”
In Lysistrata, that connection was unmistakable. The production’s balance of satire and sincerity provided a perfect vehicle for her expressive voice. “It’s rare to find a singer who combines technical discipline with such poetic instinct,” noted a professor from Mannes Opera. “Ping brings integrity to everything she sings.”
As she continues to expand her repertoire, Ping is drawn to roles that challenge her both vocally and emotionally. “I’m interested in complex women—characters with contradictions and inner lives,” she said. “That’s where the most truthful singing happens.”
With a blend of artistic intelligence, vocal warmth, and dramatic commitment, Ping Gu is quickly establishing herself as a rising voice in the American opera scene. And as audiences continue to discover her, one thing is certain: her music doesn’t merely resonate in the concert hall—it lingers in the soul.
At last season’s Mannes Sounds Festival, Ms. Gu portrayed Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, a role that revealed her nuanced understanding of baroque opera and emotional storytelling. Using her beautiful and rich voice brought Ottone’s emotional turmoil to vivid life. Under her interpretation, the character’s anguish, doubt, and longing felt heartbreakingly authentic, drawing listeners into a space of quiet reflection. It was a performance not easily forgotten.
Ping Gu as Sappho in Mark Adamo’s “Lysistrata, or The Nude Goddess.”（left to right third of front row) courtesy of Mannes Opera.
Q&A with Mezzo-Soprano Ping Gu: On Becoming Sappho and Ottone
Q: You’ve recently portrayed both Sappho and Ottone—two very different characters from very different operas. How do you approach building such contrasting roles?
Ping Gu:
That’s the part I love most about being a singer—the opportunity to live inside such varied emotional worlds. Sappho, in Lysistrata, is a poet, a thinker, someone who carries both sensuality and intellect. I wanted to find the quiet strength in her vulnerability. Ottone, on the other hand, is tormented by rejection and powerlessness. With Monteverdi’s music, there’s a raw bareness in the vocal lines, and that allowed me to really dig into his pain with restraint.
Q: Sappho is a historical figure with a mythical aura, and Ottone is rooted in early baroque drama. What kind of research or preparation goes into roles like these?
Gu:
For Sappho, I read some of her surviving poetry and also thought a lot about the feminist lens of the opera. I tried to imagine how a woman with such a lyrical mind would respond to the absurdity of war and gender conflict. For Ottone, I listened to a lot of early baroque recordings and studied the ornamentation practices of the period—but emotionally, it was about finding a masculine vulnerability that feels timeless. I think both characters, in their own way, are outsiders trying to hold on to dignity.
Q: Vocally, how do you shift between Monteverdi’s early music and the contemporary language of Mark Adamo’s score?
Gu:
It’s like speaking two completely different dialects of the same emotional language. With Monteverdi, the voice has to be clean, speech-like, and transparent—it’s all about phrasing and intention. Adamo’s score, by contrast, is more emotionally dense and theatrical, with sudden shifts and intense color. For me, the biggest challenge was maintaining emotional clarity while respecting each composer’s style. I think technique gives you the freedom to focus on truth, no matter what the music asks of you.
Q: Both Sappho and Ottone go through emotional rejection and deep inner struggle. What did you personally connect with in these characters?
Gu:
That’s a beautiful question. I think what moved me most was how quietly both characters suffer. There’s no big heroic arc—they’re just… human. And in that quietness, there’s something deeply universal. I’ve experienced moments of doubt, of not being heard, of feeling like an outsider. Bringing that into the music was cathartic. I believe audiences resonate most with what’s real, even when it’s subtle.
Whether portraying a war-weary poet or a jilted nobleman, Ms. Ping Gu continues to distinguish herself as a performer of uncommon insight and restraint. Her artistry avoids excess and spectacle; instead, it dwells in the sincere, still moments where music becomes an extension of human truth. With a transcontinental background, a refined technical command, and a voice shaped by introspection and empathy, Ping Gu is poised to become one of the defining mezzo-sopranos of her generation.
By: Angela Li
