Music lovers heard voices from around the world at the third National Center for the Perfomring Arts (NCPA) Chorus Festival in Beijing this month.

The two-week concert ended Saturday following performances that included a salute to Gustav Mahler on the 100th anniversary of the composer’s death from the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra. Led by Myung-Thun Chung, the orchestra performed Mahler’s famous Fourth Symphony.

Another highlight was the return to Beijing of Giacomo Puccini’s classic opera Turandot.

The Chinese Opera Theater launched a special Peking opera, performed by couples, during the Double Sevenths Festival to praise the beautiful love story by using traditional art.

Six choirs, from Slovenia, Austria and China performed during this year’s festival.

The Slovenian choir has achieved numerous accolades around the world, including First Prize at the International Choral Festival in Finland in 2003, and the Golden Award at Slovenian National Choral Competition in 2005.

The Wilten Boys’ Choir from Austria, which was established in the 13th century, making it one of the oldest choirs in the world, entertained an NCPA audience on Aug 5.

The festival also featured several Chinese choirs, including the National Symphony Orchestra Choir and the NCPA Choir. The NCPA Choir, under the baton of Li Xincao, closed the festival on Aug 13.

The APZ Tone Tomsic Concert is the festival’s opening event on Aug 2, performed by Slovenia’s Akademski pevski zbor v Ljubljani (Academic Choir of the University of Ljubljana) founded in 1926 by France Marolt. At first an all-male choir, female voices were added after World War II.

From the Alps to the Danube, the voices of Austria came alive at the festival with a performance by the Wilten Boys Choir on Aug 5. The choir was founded in the mid-13th century. The youngest members are 6 years old. Since 1991, Johannes Stecher has served as the choir's art director.

Turandot returns to Beijing with the NCPA’s version of the Puccini opera performed Aug 5 through Aug 7 at the opera house of the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Hao Weiya, the young Chinese composer, entrusted by National Center for the Performing Arts, to become the third composer internationally and the first in China to complete Puccini's Turandot.

Myung-Whun Chung leads the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra on Aug 4 at this year’s NCPA August Chorus Festival. The orchestra performed Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No 4 in G Major to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mahler’s death. The orchestra also performed Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No 7 in A Major.

Young Rhythm 2011, the Asian Youth Orchestra Concert, is performed Aug 7 at the NCPA August Chorus Festival in Beijing. The concert featured the works of Sarasate’s Prokofiev’ and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 4.

The National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing welcomes the China PLA Military Orchestra Army Day Concert on Aug 1 at the NCPA August Chorus Festival. The concert was led by Wang Dengmei.

A Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of PLA Navy Arts Ensemble′s Founding - Scenic Music and Dance Poem Seething Deck A Special Performance for the 90th Anniversary of CPC′s Founding.

The National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing celebrates the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China with performances by the PLA Navy Arts Ensemble July 31 through Aug 1. The concert also celebrated the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the PLA Navy Arts Ensemble.