Italian orchestra gives a taste of opera and symphony

Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, a Rome-based symphonic orchestra led by conductor Antonio Pappano, is offering Chinese audiences a mix of opera and symphony.

Santa Cecilia, founded in 1908, was the first Italian ensemble to dedicate itself to symphonic repertoire instead of opera.

The orchestra that began its weeklong Chinese tour in Hong Kong on Thursday, will land in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Sunday and will perform in Beijing and Shanghai.