Year rolls over to Beethoven

"It will be my first time performing with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra," says Inoue, 73, who is also a pianist. "I have many Chinese friends who introduced me to this great country. I am looking forward to performing at the concert with this legendary piece, which offers a message of peace and love."

Like the conductor, the Tokyo Opera Singers is also making its China debut and performing with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra for the first time. The Japanese choir came into being after conductor Seiji Ozawa requested a "world-class chorus" for the occasion of the 1992 production of Richard Wagner's opera Der Fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman) directed by Yukio Ninagawa. Since 1993, the choir has been performing regularly across Japan. For the opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the choir represented Japan and sang the choral finale from Beethoven's Symphony No 9 with musicians from six other countries. In 1999, they made their appearance at the Edinburgh Music Festival, performing in a Tokyu Bunkamura production of Turandot.