Paper short abstract:

Since the 1990s, Teo Chew opera has been maintained by the Australian Chinese Teo Chew Association, a cultural stronghold for immigrants from the Teo Chew language group. This paper addresses various factors behind the gradual decline of this genre and offers possible methods for sustainability.

Paper long abstract:

Located in the heart of Western Sydney, the Australian Chinese Teo Chew Association (ACTCA) is a meeting place for diasporic Chinese hailing from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Mainland China and other Southeast Asian countries. Their common link is the Teo Chew/Chaozhou language and culture, which originates in the locality of Teo Swa/Chaoshan in present-day Guangdong Province. Since the late 1990s, Sydney-siders of Teo Chew descent have gathered regularly to celebrate a common ethno-specific identity. In a large Chinese-style building complete with a traditional archway, community members partake in activities such as karaoke nights, ballroom dancing classes, kung fu and lion dance training, chess tournaments, and most significantly, Teo Chew opera. Arias and instrumental suites from various operatic classics are rehearsed on a weekly basis by a core group of predominantly elderly musicians. They are joined by professional artists invited from mainland China in large-scale productions hosted annually by the association. Although most synonymous with Teo Chew culture and seemingly popular in other diasporic communities, this classical art form is steadily losing currency, particularly amongst the younger Teo Chew population. Despite local patronage, it seems likely that the genre will survive for only as long as the current exponents are able to sustain it. This paper draws on fieldwork conducted from 2004 to address issues of language, transmission and other factors contributing to the gradual decline of Teo Chew opera in Western Sydney. Possible methods for sustainability are also discussed, with a case study involving Sydney Conservatorium's Chinese Music Ensemble.