Zhou Xiaoyan, Chinese coloratura, vocal educator and lifelong professor of Shanghai Music Conservatory.

Zhou Xiaoyan was born in Wuhan, Hubei in 1918. Her father, Zhou Changguo is a very progressive enterpriser and loves music. Because of the influence of her father, Zhou Xiaoyan was interested in music since childhood.

In September 1935, the music lover, Zhou Xiaoyan entered Shanghai Guoli Professional Training School, majoring in vocal music. However, in 1937, owing to the Anti-Japan War, she had to quit school and came back to her hometown.

At the end of 1938, Zhou Xiaoyan came to Paris. There did she meet famous composer, Qi Erpin. With his help, Zhou Xiaoyan entered Paris Russia Conservatory of Music. In October 1945, after seven years hardworking, Zhou Xiaoyan finally stood on the stage of Paris National Opera. On her first performance, her outstanding skills and beautiful voice conquered French audience. Later, Zhou Xiaoyan was invited to Czech to participate the Spring of Prague Concert. Her performance was very successful and she was considered as "Chinese Nightingale".

In October 1947, Zhou Xiaoyan returned to China where she had left for 9 years with the heart to reward her motherland. However, China was under the control of KMT (Kuomintang), and the people were still suffering a lot. These circumstances made Zhou Xiaoyan grieved, so she decided to walk around and sing to those progressive students.

The foundation of New China brought complete new life to Zhao Xiaoyan. She became vocal teacher in Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and started her teaching life.

The Cultural Revolution was the darkest period in Zhou Xiaoyan's life. She neither could sing nor take ordinary teaching job. But her deep love towards vocal career supported her. Famous tenor, Wei Song was the student she cultivated during The Cultural Revolution time.

After The Cultural Revolution, Zhou Xiaoyan restarted to cultivate students. In the Vienna International Vocal Competition held in 1984, four of Zhou Xiaoyan's students got prizes, among whom three got the golden prizes and one got the silver prize. The results stunned the international music field.

To develop Chinese opera career, cultivate opera performers, and strengthen the cooperation of international music culture and communication, Zhou Xiaoyan set up Zhou Xiaoyan Opera Center in the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in May 1988. In 1989, Zhou Xiaoyan Opera Center started to rehearse opera "Rigoletto" which gained great success later.

For 50 years, professor Zhou has cultivated many singers who got rewarded in the domestic and overseas competition dozens of times. Some of her students have stood on the stage of Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera and become the chief actors. At the same time, professor Zhou has also cultivated a lot of vocal talented students. Some of them have taught in colleges or been active in the foreign opera field, or gained prizes in different kinds of competitions, like Liao Changyong, Zhang jianyi, Gao Manhua etc.