Tenor Ding Yi takes the role of Don Jose in a performance of Carmen.[Photo/China Daily]

Ding was already a famous tenor in China, enjoying great success in the role of Calaf in Turandot in Beijing in 1996. With numerous awards, including winning places in the International Aria Competition in Marseille, France, and The First International Opera Competition of Shizuoka, Japan, he was a popular performer throughout Asia. He was also a regular performer at various national galas and events, which guaranteed him a stable and wealthy life. However, faced with the temptation of performing at the iconic Sydney Opera House, Ding decided to walk away from the career he had built up over 10 years and start over again in a totally new country.

"You know, it's a great honor to be the first Chinese tenor in the Sydney Opera House," says Ding, 50. "I like a challenge. Though my friends called me a fool, I still wanted the experience."

Ding's first performance in Australia was to sing at a national opera festival in the nation's capital, Canberra. His solo concert was widely acclaimed by the local media and led to more opportunities to sing in Australia.

However, when he first arrived in Australia his success did not come easy. Because of the language barrier and different understandings of opera between China and the West, Ding spent his first year at the Sydney Opera House sitting on a bench watching other actors rehearsing and performing.

Born to a musical family of a composer father and soprano mother, Ding grew up singing. He graduated from the Xi'an Conservatory of Music in China and taught there for 10 years, but Ding says he lost his confidence as a tenor in his first year in Australia.