Spring Festival with a classical twist

BEIJING, Jan. 15 -- A variety of shows will be held in China to celebrate the coming Spring Festival, while various artists and ensembles will tour abroad.

Among them, two concerts will be held at the Golden Hall of Musikverein, in Vienna, this week. Both feature Chinese music and artists, with a local orchestra in Vienna.

Entitled Eulogy to China, the concert organized by China Record Company and China Central Television (CCTV) will start today. Shao En, chief conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of China, will take the baton of the Vienna Volksoper Orchestra.

The first half includes three symphonic pieces composed by Li Lanqing, former vice-premier of China, who learned to compose in his spare time. This will be followed by a piece adapted from the modern Peking opera Sha Jia Bang. There is also a concerto featuring the Chinese instrument guzheng.

The second half will feature the symphonic chorus Eulogy to China, composed by Wang Yi.

Premiered in December by the National Symphony Orchestra of China in Beijing, the theme of the four-movement symphony is the Chinese people's pursuit of their dreams.

Soprano Huang Yin and baritone Liao Changyong will perform the works, along with the 60-member choir of the National Symphony Orchestra of China.

"There are also many shows outside China to celebrate the Spring Festival. This concert is different from them in that we play original Chinese works and promote new singers," says Zhao Daxin, general manager of China Record Company.

The other concert to be held on Saturday is named Chinese Arias. The concert presents such leading opera singers as Jin Man, Liang Ning, Sun Xiuwei and Wang Feng.