Prof. Kim Hunter Gordon is an Assistant Professor of Chinese and Performance Studies at Duke Kunshan University. He has over a decade of experience in stage translation for Kunqu and actively participates in the avocational singing circuit in China. At DKU, he currently leads two CSCC-funded projects: “Kunqu in the Community” (a CSCC Community Service Project) and “Archival Recordings of Senior Kunqu Singing Masters Accompanied by Bamboo Flute” (a CSCC Faculty Research & Creative Activity Grant). He is also a member of the Meanings, Identities, and Communities Cluster and, with support from the CSCC, has organized two annual Kunqu festivals that bring together students, scholars, practitioners, and local audiences. As part of these ongoing efforts, Prof. Gordon’s forthcoming book, Kunqu: China’s Classical Song-drama (Forms of Drama) (Bloomsbury, Methuen Drama, February 2026), introduces Kunqu from its origins in the poetic tradition and its refinement in the southern salons of the 16th century, to its 18th-century theatrical heyday and patriotic revival in modern times. Together, his teaching, research, and community engagement highlight Kunqu’s enduring role in shaping cultural life and its significance within China’s artistic heritage. Read More