Artistic Characteristics and Inheritance Innovation of Instrumental Performance in Folk Professional Wuju Opera Troupes ——A Case Study of Yongkang Wuju Opera Troupe No. 1 in Zhejiang

Background and Aim: Under the influence of globalization and modernization, traditional Chinese opera art faces survival challenges, especially for folk professional troupes. As an important national intangible cultural heritage of Zhejiang Province, the inheritance and innovation of Wuju Opera has become a key academic research topic. This study selects Yongkang Wuju Opera Troupe No. 1 as a case study, focusing on its instrumental performance to explore the survival mechanisms and innovation paths of traditional art. Materials and Methods: Using musical anthropology as the theoretical framework through systematic fieldwork was conducted from January to June 2024. Research methods include participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and literature analysis. The investigation covered 30 formal performances, 10 rehearsals, and systematic interviews with 15 senior musicians, comprehensively collecting historical archives and relevant literature of the troupe. Results: The research reveals three core artistic characteristics of instrumental performance in Yongkang Wuju Opera Troupe No. 1. First is traditionality: although the orchestra size has expanded from 5 to 15 people, it maintains the traditional "Five Principal Positions" (Drum Master, Lead Huqin, Secondary Wind Instruments, Large Gong, Small Gong) collaborative mechanism, reflecting the organizational form of opera instrumental performance. Second is diversity: civil and martial music forms a rich performance pattern. Through the flexible use of percussion instruments, plucked instruments, wind instruments, and string instruments, it presents artistic characteristics that blend formula-based and improvisational elements. Third is functionality: constructing a multi-level functional system including stage-opening music, transitional music, and accompaniment music, reflecting the artistic logic of "character performance-centered" opera music. Conclusion: The research reveals the inheritance and innovation mechanism of instrumental performance in folk professional Wuju Opera troupes. Wuju Opera's instrumental performance has formed a "core-periphery" structure inheritance model, maintaining traditional cores such as the "Five Principal Positions" while allowing flexible innovation in peripheral elements such as orchestra size and instrument types. Its artistic expression is deeply rooted in local cultural soil, constructing a diversified expression system that integrates formula-based and improvisational elements, reinforcing local cultural identity. Through the multi-level functional integration of stage-opening music, transitional music, and accompaniment music, it meets both artistic expression needs and realizes social and cultural values. These three dimensions together constitute the adaptive mechanism of traditional art, demonstrating the vitality of traditional art in modern society. The research enriches the theoretical connotation of "living inheritance" of intangible cultural heritage and provides new perspectives for the protection and development of traditional performing arts.