China celebrates Portugal ties with yearlong cultural events program

Marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Portugal, a concert given by the China National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Portuguese conductor Joana Carneiro was held at the Beijing Concert Hall on June 10.

The concert featured seven repertoires including Vissi d'arte, an aria from Giacomo Puccini's opera La Tosca; La luce langue, an aria from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Macbeth; and Dance of the Yao People, a work composed by Liu Tieshan and Mao Yuan and inspired by the folk dances of the Yao ethnic people in China.

"This is my fourth time performing in China. Along with our Portuguese conductor and Chinese musicians, we showed the way different cultures can come together musically," says Portuguese soprano, Elisabete Matos, at the Portuguese embassy in Beijing.