Little choir, big voices: Young 'Marco Polos' bridge friendship, affection between China, Italy with angelic melody

Editor's Note:

Chinese President Xi Jinping often quotes an ancient saying on many diplomatic occasions: "No mountain or ocean can separate those who share the same aspirations." This powerful message underscores the undeniable force of friendship and cooperation in bridging hearts across nations, cultures, and civilizations. Inspired by President Xi's vision, people-to-people exchanges between China and the world have been flourishing.

People from diverse backgrounds and fields - united by common goals and dreams - traverse mountains and oceans to connect with each other. Through letters, face-to-face dialogues, and vibrant cultural events, they are collectively weaving a magnificent tapestry of building a community of shared future for humanity.

The Global Times presents "Intertwined Destinies, Shared Paths," a series spotlighting the touching stories written by these "friendship ambassadors." They are scholars pushing the boundaries of research, diplomats advocating for deeper cooperation on the global stage, artists igniting imaginations with their creations, and ordinary people extending heartfelt love beyond national borders driven by genuine sincerity.

Their tales illuminate the spark of cultural exchange, the driving force of technological innovation, the bountiful harvest of economic cooperation, and the enduring warmth of human connection - all contributing to a more peaceful, prosperous, and open world. This is the sixth installment in the series.

The Little Choir of Antoniano perform in Shanghai on January 1, 2025. (Shan Jie/GT)

"Every road has a turn, and every scene is beautiful. Rub your tired eyes, stop, and take a look. It is beautiful and simple."

As these familiar lyrics and melodies filled the air, the audience gasped in surprise.

Chinese audience have long embraced singer Zhou Shen's pop song "Little Bliss," but hearing it performed in crisp, angelic voices by a group of foreign children made the moment even more touching.

This was the encore surprise delivered by Italy's Little Choir of Antoniano at their annual New Year concert in Shanghai in January.

Later, as China celebrated the Spring Festival, a clip of the choir's heartfelt performance went viral on social media platforms, garnering more than 3 million likes and being widely shared by netizens.

This is not the first time that the Italian choir has taken Chinese audiences by storm. Their renditions of "China in the Lights," "The Same Song," and "Lone Warrior" have all drawn attention online. Whether it be their beautiful voices, adorable performances or impeccable pronunciation, they have consistently won over Chinese listeners.

"Their Chinese is at level 10!"

"Their performance healed me. I couldn't help but smile."

Such were the reactions from delighted viewers.

For the last decade, the Little Choir of Antoniano has served as a cultural bridge between China and Italy, bringing Italian passion to China and carrying Chinese affection back to Italy.

"I found great friendship as soon as I came to China, with the feeling of connection and love," Giampaolo Cavalli, director of Antoniano, told the Global Times. "I hope that we can carry on this connection and let it grow, so we can spread happiness through our music."

Name card of Italy

In Italy, the Little Choir of Antoniano is considered a national treasure.

The choir's story began in 1963 during the fifth edition of the Zecchino d'Oro music festival, when a small group of children became its first members under the guidance of Mariele Ventre, the choir's founder and first conductor, according to Cavalli.

The name Zecchino d'Oro, meaning "golden coin" in Italian, comes from the fairy tale Pinocchio. The festival, a competition for children's songs, has been a great success over the last six decades.

Broadcast annually on Rai, Italy's national television channel, it is described as the "Super Bowl" for Italian children.

Organized and promoted by the Antoniano Institute, the festival has the Little Choir of Antoniano as a permanent part of its musical performances. Over the last 60 years, Zecchino d'Oro has produced nearly 1,000 original children's songs across various genres, known for their artistic quality.

In addition, Zecchino d'Oro has invited many foreign composers to compose songs with international flavors. Over the years, five Chinese songs have been included in the choir's competition lineup.

As the presenters of Zecchino d'Oro, the Little Choir of Antoniano has been using music to spread messages of joy and compassion. In 2003, it was named the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF Italy, recognized for conveying peace and hope to children worldwide through music.

The Little Choir of Antoniano perform in Shanghai on January 1, 2025. (Shan Jie/GT)

Today, it consists of around 50 children aged between 4 and 12 years old, who rehearse three times a week at Antoniano Institute in Bologna.

It has performed at major international events, including the Sanremo Music Festival and at the Vatican.

In March 2019, when the Chinese leader visited Italy, the choir performed in Rome for some of the visiting delegations.

Now, the choir remains beloved for its legacy of classic songs and long history. The choir's YouTube channel has also remained largely popular, Cavalli noted.

Journey to China

More than 730 years ago, Marco Polo brought stories of China to Italy. In 1980, the Zecchino d'Oro children's music festival revisited this history through the song "Marco Polo," performed by its young singers.

"Marco Polo brought rice and pasta back home from China," the song goes.

However, it wasn't until around 2007 that Zecchino d'Oro began garnering fans in China, thanks to a Chinese emigrant in Italy who introduced its songs to music enthusiasts on online forums.

Since then, the choir's Chinese fan base uploaded hundreds of subtitled videos on streaming platforms.

In 2012, dedicated fans released a video that would change everything. The clip, filmed during a 2010 Christmas concert in Verona, featured a 4-year-old choir member, Francesca, singing a Zecchino d'Oro song "Forza Gesù."

This video became the first viral hit for the Little Choir of Antoniano in China. Audiences were captivated by the children's expressive, free-spirited singing, their adorable gestures, and the gentle, heartwarming nature of the songs.

One key figure in this "butterfly effect" was Liang Xiaoxia, a Shanghai-based music lover and director of the Shanghai Children's Art Theatre at the time. When she came across the video, she was deeply moved - and was determined to bring the choir to China.

No one had attempted such an endeavor before. "I was rejected a few times at first, so I went to Bologna in person to express my sincere invitation," Liang told the Global Times. "They said yes."

At the end of 2015, the Little Choir of Antoniano held its first New Year concert in Shanghai.

"When we were informed that we were going to China, it was a great surprise. I don't think any of us could imagine the choir could be liked so much in a country so far away from us," Sonia Pironi, mother of three choir members, said.

From the second year on, tickets for the New Year concerts became increasingly difficult to get.

The Little Choir of Antoniano perform in Shanghai on December 31, 2019. (Shan Jie/GT)

For 10 consecutive years, the choir has performed in China, even continuing remotely during the pandemic. They have toured in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing, gracing major platforms like CCTV.

A highlight of every concert has been their surprise encore performances of Chinese songs.

Liang and her team selected these songs. "The choir trusts us very much, they prepared seriously, and the performance was very good," she said.

To perfect these performances, the children have undergone rigorous training in singing Chinese songs.

According to Pironi, the children first learn to pronounce the lyrics, and then native Chinese speakers refine their pronunciation.

Vittoria, the only Chinese member of the choir, also helped - whenever she found that some children did not pronounce well, she would correct them patiently.

"I'm glad that the choir's relaxed and natural singing style has been recognized by the Chinese audience. We will continue to work hard to sing more and better songs to share with everyone," she said.

Expanding bonding

As a bridge of culture and friendship between China and Italy, the choir brings more to the peoples of both countries than just songs from their concerts.

"The Chinese people have great respect and affection for children. Every time we perform, the theaters are packed. This emotional exchange is truly special, bringing Chinese and Italian cultures closer together," Cavalli noted.

"People in Italy generally take pride in the choir's trip to China and see it as an important cultural exchange," he said.

He noted that Antoniano's success was made possible by the support from both China and Italy. While China has provided essential assistance in organizing large-scale tours, the Italian Embassy in China has shifted from initial surprise to pride, hoping that such cultural exchanges will continue.

"Antoniano has chosen to perform in China multiple times, not only because of the enthusiastic audiences, but also because we believe we are building new cultural ties for the next generation," Cavalli said.

As a gift, this year, the choir also unveiled a new song titled "Marco Polo's magical journey," commemorating the adventurer who paved the way for China-Italy friendship more than 700 years ago.

The Little Choir of Antoniano perform in Shanghai on January 1, 2025. (Shan Jie/GT)

Children dressed in medieval Venetian and Chinese Mongolian costumes performed together, filling the air with a spirit of exploration and anticipation for new worlds.

The participation of Chinese children has further deepened this cultural exchange. Some children's fans have been inspired to learn Italian. Some music teachers have translated Zecchino d'Oro lyrics into Chinese and encouraged their own choirs to emulate Antoniano's singing style.

Liang founded the Little Choir of Hydrangea in Shanghai, which performs Chinese versions of Zecchino d'Oro songs, attracting over 200 children in Shanghai who happily learn to sing.

Liang believes that "the concept of Zecchino d'Oro is wonderful because it conveys life lessons to children through beautiful songs."

Her dream is to establish a Chinese version of the Zecchino d'Oro competition.

As a member of the choir, Pironi's son Luca has also been influenced by Chinese culture and has started to learn Chinese.

He studies at the Confucius Institute in Bologna and with a private tutor, taking five hours of Chinese per week.

"My future plan is to continue to study Chinese harder, try to pass the HSK, and go to China and study at a university there. This is my dream," Luca said.