More than 300 Chinese college students staged a concert in Xiamen on Saturday evening, to mark China's successful bid a year ago to host the 2008 Olympic Games. In this special way, China's 1st College Student's Music Festival made its debut in the east China coastal city.

At the festival's opening ceremony, students majoring in music from colleges and universities throughout China jointly performed "The Hope of China" chorus, and also the well-known Chinese choralmasterpiece "The Yellow River Chorus".

Chenxi, a violinist who has won second prize in the TchaikovskyInternational Music Competition and is also a student with the China Central Conservatory, played one of Tchaikovsky's masterpieces, the Violin Concerto in D Major.

According to the organizers, the music festival will include 13performances ranging from orchestral works and Chinese folk music,to choral and chamber music. Students are also encouraged to perform works they have composed.

Well-known Chinese musicians and conductors including Yang Hongnian, Zheng Xiaoying and Guo Shuzhen have been invited to speak.

The music festival, with a theme of promoting the image of Chinese college students, will be held annually till 2008. Beijingwill hold the final event.

In the Olympic Games spirit of "togetherness and progress", thefestival will select the best performers and musical works from Chinese music specialist colleges and universities.

A Xiamen official said by hosting China's 1st College Students'Music Festival the city aimed to promote its cultural atmosphere.

( People's Daily July 14, 2002)