Sophie Gopsill

Sophie Gopsill, is a Chinese actress and also mezzo-soprano and contralto singer with over 30 years of professional acting and singing experience. Born in Hong Kong, in 1950 her parents moved to China to conduct and direct western opera. Her father, famous conductor and composer Zhuo Ming Lee, directed the Beijing National Opera House and the Harbin Opera House. Her mother, Deng Wan Sheng, attended Shanghai Theatre Academy and was a film and TV actress and also operatic director. Sophie is a niece of famous playwright Cao Yu, and the grand-niece of writer Fang Ling Ru, and a relative of Taiwan's film director Jiang Wei Guo. Sophie was brought up on and around the stage and showed early talent for music, dance, drama and art. During the 1970's she was a member of Lanzhou Artistic Theatre and a performer at Harbin Opera House. In 1980 Sophie returned to Hong Kong and during the early 80's she performed in Hong Kong's City Hall and North Point Concert Hall, also on Hong Kong TV and Radio. Sophie toured extensively in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, performing in live concerts, in sports stadiums, on TV, radio and in opera houses and also for charity benefits. In 1985 Sophie emigrated to the UK and for several years sang in Plymouth's Theatre Royal, Athenaeum Theatre, City Hall and Plymouth Festival. She was also a regular performer at the Plymouth Society of Music and sang at the Cheltenham International Festival. In 1998 Sophie went to Naples, Italy for six years. Whilst there she performed at the annual Institute of Grenoble Music Festival, at the Maschio Angioino (Castel Nuovo), Salerno Music Conservatory, the Naples Community Theatre, at international functions and at the British Consulate. She also appeared as an actress in a well-known Italian TV film drama. In 2004 Sophie went to Hong Kong and performed in the City Hall Concert Hall. In 2006, she sang at the Cadogan Hall in London, and in 2007 returned to Hong Kong once more to perform at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. In recent years she has expanded her professional activity into acting, playing parts in several film trailers and doing voiceover work. Whilst in Italy she appeared in a RAI3 TV drama series "La Squadra", playing the wife of a Chinese Mafia boss. In the UK, she has recently played a leading role in the film "The Receptionist", which was a great success. Sophie is a great believer in the power of acting as a life-strengthener.