Ms Ying Kam-sha is an Associate Professor in Performance - Chinese Opera in the School of Chinese Opera at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

She joined the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Company in 1978, studying under renowned Kunqu masters including Yao Chuanxiang, Shen Shihua, Zhou Xuewen, Wang Zhiquan, and Wang Fengmei. She specialises in the guimendan (unmarried high-born lady) and daomadan (female warrior) roles. With twenty years of experience in higher education, her teaching and artistic practice encompass Kunqu performance, role interpretation, repertoire development, and the transmission of Chinese opera traditions.

Ms Ying is widely acclaimed for her graceful stage presence, sweet voice, meticulous performance, and versatility in both civil and martial roles. Her renowned plays include The Legend of the Jade Hairpin, The Peony Pavilion, The Legend of the Purple Hairpin, The Rotten Axe Handle Mountain, Waylaying the Horse, Borrowing the Fan from Journey to the West, and The Hu Village. She received the Excellent Xiaobaihua Award at the 1982 Chinese Opera Xiaobaihua Showcase and the First-Class Award at the 1985 Zhejiang Province 2nd Drama Festival, and is a member of the China Theatre Association. In recognition of her artistry, she was awarded the 24th Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre and later served as a member of the final judging panel for the 31st Plum Blossom Award.

After settling in Hong Kong, Ms Ying worked as a voice actress for Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) and continued her dedication to Chinese opera education. She has taught Chinese opera at the Hong Kong Chinese Art Promotion Centre, City University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong. Since 1986, she has consistently offered classes in repertoire study and stage movement, personally instructing students in fundamental techniques and vocal performance. In 2006, she founded the Ying Kam-sha Opera Learning Centre, and joined the Academy as a part-time teacher, becoming a full-time instructor in 2007.

Her performance tours have covered Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In 2013, she starred in The Legend of the Jade Hairpin with Taiwan’s Lanting Kunqu Opera Troupe. In 2016, she was invited to play the lead in The Legend of the Purple Hairpin for the opening production of the 7th Chinese Opera Festival in Hong Kong. In 2017, she performed the full-length The Legend of the Jade Hairpin in Beijing, followed by performances of The Butterfly Dream and The Legend of the Jade Hairpin in Beijing and Shanghai in 2018 and 2019 respectively. In 2023, she appeared in Gu Zhaoshen’s adaptation of the full-length The Peony Pavilion at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong West Kowloon Cultural District, and in 2024 she performed Longing for the Secular World at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.