Scheduled Concert of Three Top Tenors Attracts Chinese Artists' Attention

Concert of Three Top Tenors to Hold in Beijing

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A concert featuring the three top tenors in the world: Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, will be held in Beijing and has attracted wide attention from the Chinese artistic circles.

The concert will be staged inside the Forbidden City in Beijing on June 23, according to sources.

The Chinese people have long dreamed of being able to invite the three world-famous tenors to China and to perform on the same stage, some Chinese artists told Xinhua.

This concert will show the world that China, which is opening wider to the outside world, will be able to absorb any noble form of art, and is playing an important role in developing the world art, the artists said.

This concert will also work as another showcase for the progress China has made in inheriting and learning the advanced cultures, said Ying Ruocheng, a famous artist and the former vice- minister of Chinese Ministry of Culture.

"When you become old, you can tell your children with pride that you have watched the three tenors sing on the same stage," Ying said. "It is a rare opportunity for anybody."

The coming concert means not only pride for China, but also a historic event for all the music lovers worldwide, said Li Guangxi, a first-rank national opera actor, as well as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"To allow foreign singers to perform in the Forbidden City clearly shows that the Chinese government is an open and enlightened government that highly values the achievements of any civilization," Li added.

The special place for the concert has become the focus of public attention, according to sources.

The Forbidden City, which used to be a royal residence, has been regarded as a symbol of oriental culture.

The cream of western art will be closely integrated with eastern cultural spirit, which will bring the concert incomparable taste and charm, experts noted.

Experts also believe that the concert will enhance the exchange between Chinese and foreign artists.

"Now it's time to rejuvenate our opera and we should take this opportunity to make our own singers go public," said Wang Shiguang, former president of the Chinese Central Opera Theater.

"Many Chinese have shown strong interest in opera, and can hum the songs sung by the three tenors," Li Guangxi said. "The concert will definitely boost the development of this noble form of art in China."

The date scheduled for the event exactly coincides with the Olympic Day, and the concert has been designated as an activity included in Beijing's ongoing Olympic bid drive, sources said.