China Philharmonic Orchestra performs under Acropolis of Athens

Thousands of Greeks and foreign visitors enjoyed a magnificent performance by the China Philharmonic Orchestra under the Acropolis hill in central Athens on Wednesday evening.

At the end of its 18-day 2015 "Silk Road" tour, the internationally acclaimed orchestra, under Conductor and Artistic Director Long Yu, gave a unique concert at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a Roman theater at the foot of the Sacred Rock with a seating capacity for 5,000 people.

In their first performance in Athens as part of the Greek Festival, the most significant annual cultural festival in Greece over the past six decades, the Chinese artists took the audience on a magical journey.

The orchestra interpreted the famous "Polovtsian Dances" from Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor, "Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto" by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, as well as the Symphony No.9 "From the New World" by Antonin Dvorak, winning warm applause from the spectators.

Shortly before the performance, Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zou Xiaoli addressed the event, underlining how cultural exchanges could help strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the Chinese and Greek people.

"Chinese musicians have come along the Silk Road to the origin of the European civilization to express friendship, respect and good wishes to the Greek people with the common language of mankind," the ambassador said.

He said he was convinced that in light of the Silk Road spirit of "peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit," the two sides will work together to enhance friendly cooperation in the great revival of the two ancient civilizations.

Greek music lovers were greatly impressed by the orchestra's performance.

Markella Lygizaki, a musician, told Xinhua that she could not take her eyes from the "amazing" virtuosos. It was the first time she watched Chinese artists performing live and she admired their focus and style.

"I will agree with the Chinese ambassador that music is a universal, intercultural language that links people across the world, in particular in such difficult times for all of us, especially the Greeks," Lygizaki said.

Efi Varella, who attended the concert with friends and colleagues from Piraeus Container Terminal, a subsidiary of China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company which since 2009 has been managing two piers at Piraeus port, was excited by the event.

"It gave us an opportunity to feel the heartbeats of Chinese people, to sense how they feel about us. We know this through the company we are working for. They respect our civilization as we respect theirs and this is obvious in all aspects of life, including music," she told Xinhua, expressing the hope that more Chinese artists will perform in Greece in the future. Endi