Italian opera went international on Saturday night in Imola, a town in central Italy, where an enthusiastic public warmly applauded the performance of Chinese soprano Zheng Nan.

The concert was part of the renowned Emilia Romagna Festival, a two-month series of performances from international artists, which is held every year in Italy's Emilia Romagna region to promote culture and peace.

Zheng's concert was hosted in the villa garden of La Babina, an iconic location that features neoclassical architecture.

The Chinese soprano has enjoyed a prestigious career in both Asia and Europe. After graduating in singing at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, she obtained a second degree in opera singing at the G. Rossini Conservatory of Music in Italy's Pesaro.

"I started studying music when I was a small child and I have never stopped," she says on the eve of the concert.

"Singing is my true passion. I am very demanding of myself, and singing here in Italy, the homeland of opera in front of a public which is obviously extremely attentive, is a big challenge," she adds.

Pianist Lorenzo Bavaj, who has appeared with tenor Jose Carreras in over 500 concerts, accompanied Zheng for the two-hour performance, which featured opera pieces from Giacomo Puccini's Boheme, Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto and Gaetano Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore.

Italian tenor Gian Luca Pasolini also performed some duets with the Chinese singer. "More and more young Chinese artists are coming to Italy to study opera. Most of them have talent and learn very quickly," he says.

"Cultural differences almost disappear when it comes to a deep understanding of music," Bavaj notes, adding the Chinese singer adds "color" to the Italian opera scene.

"I have been to China a few times. I was in Shanghai for the opening of the Park Hyatt Hotel, and soon after I went to Xi'an and saw the Terracotta Warriors. This is exactly what China represents to me: the past and the future harmonized together."

The complexity of Chinese culture also fascinates Giovanni Bettini, the president of Clai, a store sponsoring the concert. Bettini says international cultural exchanges "leave all fears behind and are the beginning of a deep acquaintance".

"We believe in cooperation, and hosting an outstanding artist from such a distant country, who sings in the Italian language and loves Italian culture, is prestigious for Imola citizens as well as for all Italy," Mayor Daniele Manca says.

The audience was impressed not only by the "excellent skills" of Zheng but also by "her evident profound passion for music".

"If I closed my eyes, I would not have known she came from a different country. It is amazing that, despite not being Italian, she is able to interpret opera at such a deep level," says music lover, Fabrizia Fiumi, who attended the concert with her husband.

"It is really true that the harmony of music has no borders, and tonight we feel honored that this art is bringing China closer to Italy," she adds.

Xinhua