iSING! Suzhou International Young Artists Festival opened on the evening of July 20 at Grand Theater of Suzhou Culture & Arts Center. 42 outstanding young singers from 20 countries including China, Russia, the US, Italy, and Austria put up a stage show with Western classic opera "Le Nozze di Figaro", Chinese opera "The Rickshaw Boy", and others, and the audience were simply awe-struck in the Sino-foreign cultural collision in music.

The festival began on July 7, and will last till August 7, during which a series of activities will be carried out in diversified themes, ranging from music and literature, opera and the classical Chinese Kunqu Opera, and highbrow and popular music. What is more, the current festival is blended with the development concept of "the Belt and Road" for the first time, since many of the singers come from the countries along the Silk Road.

The opening show proceeded mainly with excerpts of both Eastern and Western classic operas. It is also the plan of the festival to present the re-created youth versions of original operas next year in a vibrant, simplistic manner, with the aim to cultivate the taste of audiences as well as the creativity of the performers.

It is reported that, after a month's training, the festival will come to an end on August 7 with a closing concert, and by then, the young singers will join hands with Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra in presenting a spectacular music show of sheer grandeur.