The “Image China" symphony concert was held at the Wellington Opera Hall, the capital of New Zealand on Sept 19, bringing a musical feast to thousands of audiences.

The "Image China" symphony concert is held at the Wellington Opera Hall, the capital of New Zealand on Sept 19.[Photo/CAEG]

The concert was performed by artists from China and New Zealand, under the baton of the famous New Zealand conductor Brent Stewart. The repertoire includes classic Chinese music masterpieces such as "Yanhuang Style" and "Torch Festival", as well as New Zealand's native symphony "Drysdale Overture" and Maori traditional folk song "Rapid River".

In addition, male and female sopranos from China and New Zealand sang the famous "Song of the Yangtze River." The piano concerto "Yellow River" played by Chinese pianist Liu Jian, who is currently the director of the performance department and the piano department of the New Zealand Conservatory of Music, pushed the atmosphere to a climax.

Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong delivered a congratulatory speech before the performance. He said that on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of China-New Zealand diplomatic relations, the cultural exchange brand "Image China" returned to New Zealand to present high-level performances for the people of Auckland and Wellington.

The "Image China" symphony concert is held at the Wellington Opera Hall, the capital of New Zealand on Sept 19.[Photo/CAEG]

Wellington Mayor Andy Foster said in his speech that the exchanges between New Zealand and China have been fruitful, and Wellington has played an important role in it. Wellington has 10 sister cities around the world, three of which are Chinese cities. The concert enhanced the friendship between the two peoples and built a bridge for cultural and artistic exchanges.
Charlotte Smith, a New Zealand audience member, said that this was a wonderful performance. The music transcended borders and languages and reached people's hearts. She hoped to see more artistic exchanges between the two countries in the future.

The "Image China" symphony concert is held at the Wellington Opera Hall, the capital of New Zealand on Sept 19.[Photo/CAEG]

The concert has four performances in New Zealand this time, the first one being held in Auckland on Sept 1.

The Image China Concert, a cultural exchange initiative presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group, aims to introduce traditional and contemporary Chinese performing arts to audiences around the world.

Since its establishment in 2009, it has selected more than 40 high-quality plays from more than 30 art troupes in China, and performed more than 600 performances in mainstream theaters in  countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. The total number of spectators at various venues has reached one million.