Music label marks 120th milestone in imperial style

Audiences might still remember the impressive opera production of Giacomo Puccini's Turandot - conducted under the baton of Zubin Mehta and directed by Zhang Yimou - that was performed at Beijing's historical Imperial Ancestral Temple, which is located just outside the Forbidden City, in September 1998.

That same venue - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - was once again awash with melody on Wednesday, when Universal Music Group's Deutsche Grammophon, the world's oldest classical music label, launched its 120th-anniversary celebrations by hosting a gala concert there. Musicians from around the world shared the stage, performing for an audience of over 1,200.

Under the baton of maestro Yu Long, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra opened the concert with a special arrangement of Chinese composer Liu Tianhua's work, Enchanted Night. Then, the orchestra performed German composer Carl Orff's Carmina Burana accompanied by Russian soprano Aida Garifullina, British tenor, Toby Spence, and French baritone, Ludovic Tezier, as well as the Shanghai Spring Children's Choir.