Hitting the right notes

Two Chinese students will join 10 others from around the world for a three-week course at a music college specializing in Italian bel canto singing. Chen Jie reports.

Shang Chunlai did not expect he would win the final ticket to the summer course of the Georg Solti Academy in Italy next year. The 26-year-old baritone was stunned for a few seconds after his name was announced following his performance at the National Center for the Performing Arts.

Then he received congratulations and hugs from his peers seated beside him.

This is the third year that the Georg Solti Academy, the renowned music college specializing in teaching Italian bel canto singing, has held auditions for students to join its specialized training program.

More than 50 applicants submitted their videos of the three Italian arias to the organizers, and 21 got a chance to audition in Beijing last week.

Eight passed the audition and received a week of training by Jonathan Papp, the co-founder and artistic director of the Georg Solti Academy; Italian soprano Barbara Frittoli and language coach Stefano Baldasseroni.

Finally, Shang and baritone Zhao Denghui from the Conservatory of Milan won the opportunity to study in Italy.

Speaking after his name was announced, Shang, who hails from northeast China's Jilin province says: "To me, the NCPA is a dream, let alone Italy. "Describing the coaching after the audition, Shang, who studies opera singing at Northeast Normal University, says: "The three coaches are devoted and passionate. They have professionalism, are very disciplined and pay great attention to detail."

He said one of his audition pieces was the aria Per me giunto e il di supremo from Verdi's opera Don Carlo. And when Frittoli coached him she was so into the music and the scene that she cried.

Tenor Gao Yuan, who was also among the eight finalists, shared Shang's views saying: "Frittoli pays great attention to detail and emotion. I thought I was doing well with the expressions, but she said I was not emoting enough."

Soprano Liang Liaofan from the China Conservatory of Music says she made great progress with the language. Because she does not speak Italian, and as she cannot understand the libretto, just trying to remember the pronunciation affects her singing.

Tenor Zhou Xun, 22, from central China's Henan province, who did not make the final selection was still thrilled with being a part of the event.