Kim Hunter Gordon

Kim Hunter Gordon is a practitioner of classical Kunqu singing and scholar of Chinese theatre history. He is interested in how Chinese song-drama has been shaped by social networks, publishing practices, patronage, and bureaucratic funding mechanisms, and what these processes reveal about how societies structure and regulate culture. His monograph, Kunqu: China’s Classical Song-Drama, (2026) is published by Bloomsbury Methuen Drama.

His teaching interests at DKU include China studies, performance, media studies and translation. His perspectives on Global China education are informed by years of professional experience both as a Western journalist and media professional in China and as an international liaison and translator for Chinese cultural institutions. He maintains long-standing collaborations with performance and heritage organizations in Kunshan, alongside networks across Jiangsu, Shanghai, Fujian, and beyond.

He holds an MA (Hons) in Psychology and English Literature from the University of Glasgow and a PhD in Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway, University of London, which he undertook alongside a China Studies Joint Research Fellowship at Nanjing University. His fieldwork included extended training under Qian Zhenrong at the Jiangsu Kunqu Theatre. Prior to joining DKU he held an AHRC-funded research fellowship at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.