Monday’s performance by the China National Symphony Orchestra Chorus was one of the finest displays of Chinese choral music in recent years. Conducted by Maestros Wang Linlin and Guy Noble, the remarkable program featured iconic 20th-century Chinese compositions alongside universally beloved Western opera classics.

The choristers, highly trained in bel canto – known in Chinese as meisheng changfa (literally “beautiful singing style”) – demonstrated a vocal tradition that has been applied to narrative singing since its introduction to Republican China in the 1920s. In its original form, it remains a highly regarded technique in both music pedagogy and general appreciation.

The China National Symphony Orchestra Chorus at Sydney Opera House. Photo courtesy Ryan Maxwell Event

The concert opened with a segment inspired by the ethnic minority cultures of China’s northeastern and western frontiers. Tenor Song Daile delivered a mesmerising solo in Ussuri River Boat Song, evoking the traditional lands of the Hezhe people. This timeless, dreamlike atmosphere continued in Eastern Mongolian Pastoral Song, with soprano Hu Yuanyuan and tenor Liu Jiyong offering compelling performances.

Audience members hummed along to a jazzy rendition of Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon by...