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| National Symphony Orchestra concert appraises "angels in white" |
| CCTV.COM 2003-06-29 09:06:33 |
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 Beijing's cultural scene is coming back to life with the lifting of a WHO advisory against travel to the city. China's National Symphony Orchestra was the first major performing group to stage a show, putting on a starlit outdoor concert on Saturday evening. The concert was held especially for the medical workers who fought an enduring battle against SARS.
The concert opened at dusk with the classic "Ode to the Red Flag." The awe－inspiring Great Wall provided a spectacular backdrop to the Orchestra, creating a full audio－visual experience for the large audience. Many of the audience members were medical workers who had been in the frontline of the fight against SARS.
The National Symphony Orchestra invited some outstanding domestic artists to participate in the concert to further raise the performance's profile as the official reignition of Beijing's cultural life. Li Xiaolu, a Chinese－born conductor who is high respected in the United States, conducted the orchestra. The young female Tibetan singer Suolungwam, and the man said by some to be the fourth tenor, Dai Yuqiang, also joined the troupe.
The Ministry of Culture and the National Symphony Orchestra cosponsored the concert. Both organizations expressed concerns for the medical workers, and outlined their expectations of the Beijing cultural scene.
Feng Yuan, head of the Art Department, Ministry of Culture, said, "Since the advisory was lifted, all of the capital's artistic groups have begun preparing for performances. The China National Symphony Orchestra made this concert the first step to celebrate the success of defeating SARS. I think that Beijing's performing arts market will soon welcome a summer prosperity."
Guo Shan, vice chairman of China National Symphony Orchestra, said, "We are excited to present such a brilliant show to show our respect for the medical workers. Since we have not taken care of the patients like them, we prefer to display our best art and best performance for them instead."
The brave deeds of the "angels in white" during the worst of the SARS epidemic moved the musicians, and they have finally had a chance to show their respect. By looking at the light－hearted smiles on the faces of the medical workers, one can assume that the concert had the desired effect. It seems that the artist's wishes hit home.
Performing arts groups all over China are gearing up to put on their best works in an effort to get cultural production back on track. With this glamorous concert as a first step, the future of China's cultural scene looks promising.
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Editor: Yang Feiyang CCTV.com
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