The 25-day Fourth Beijing Music Festival closed Thursday in Beijing, to the melodies of Wagner and Dvorak.

US soprano Cheryle Studer, and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra performed Wagner's arias, Hallenarie of "Tannhauser," Elsa Traum of "Lohengrin," and Liebestod of "Tristan und Isolde." The scenery was specially designed to match the splendor of Wagner's great masterpieces.

The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra also performed Wagner's Tannhauser Overture and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E Minor (From the New World).

According to the organizer, the Beijing Capital Entertainment Management Co. Ltd., Cheryle Studer was the first recipient of the International Classical Music Award for the category "Best (Female) Singer of the Year" in 1992.

The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1911, is widely acclaimed as having a traditional yet outstanding forte in opera. The orchestra gives 160 performances a year, and it takes part in the annual "Spring of Prague Festival."

The organizer said that this year's Beijing Music Festival well illustrated the festival's theme, "International Standards, Chinese Style and Beijing Characteristics."

More than 1,500 artists from China and 14 other countries performed in the music gala. The programs included three operas, 15 symphonies, eight chamber music concerts, two Chinese folk music performances, a hi-fi concert and a Children's concert.

This annual music event, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Beijing municipal government, was launched in 1998. A total of 7,000 local and overseas artists have given nearly 100 performances.

(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2001)