famous Chinese actor Chen Daoming

Splendid scenery

During the ceremony

Famous Chinese soprano Song Zuying receiving an interview

The hostess and distinguished guest

Capture the moment

Smoke for stage display

Violin performance on the spot

The hostess

Ticket launching

On the evening of May 18, the ticket launching ceremony for 2009 Beijing Bird’s Nest Summer Concert, which is to take place on June 30, was held at the Bird’s Nest. Famous Chinese soprano Song Zuying, together with Chinese actor Chen Daoming, Chinese TV anchor Bai Yansong and Chinese tenor Yan Weiwen appeared at the ceremony to promote the concert series. As one of the performer in the summer concert, Song Zuying will be glamorously dressed in 6 sets of outfits and is expected to impress the audience with a dance with Chinese pop singer Jay Chou or Spanish tenor Placido Domingo.

Song Zuying and her friends

Chen Daoming hopes Song can “take it easy”

As Song Zuying’s longtime friends, Chen Daoming, Bai Yansong and Yan Weiwen talked about their impressions of Song.

“Although she is now quite famous and rich, she is still a little goofy with random words and acts sometimes”, Chen said. Knowing that Song is getting a little bit nervous with the concert approaching, Chen encouraged Song and said: “We are actors, and just like us, you have to sing no matter you are nervous or not. I hope after this concert, she will be nicknamed as “take it easy”.

Yan Weiwen echoed Chen’s comments about Song. “She is typically not good at speaking,” Yan said, “She is very involved as soon as she starts to sing, but gets nervous and unpredictable when it comes to speak. You don’t know what she will say the next moment.”

Bai Yansong sees Song as a record breaker. “She will make new record on June 30 at the Bird’s Nest and her sincerity and curiosity impressed me very much.”

Let the songs and butterflies fly high

Coerced by the hostess, Song performed the “Dragon Boat Tune” with the other three guests. The ceremony reached its climax in the ticket launching section. The four guests jointly started the bright electric ball, when a giant red canopy got loose and flied up high, unveiling a model of the Bird’s Nest with a large-sized ticket sample on the side. As the colorful flowers dancing in the air, the ceremony was ablaze with 2009 colorful butterflies fluttering above the Bird’s Nest, carrying the dream of music.

Song Zuying and her concert

Breaking through the traditional stage design

According to the organizer of the concert, the audience has a lot to expect from the stage display, which will break with the traditional floor based stage design. Hong Kong Stage designer Zhou Bingkun made the best of the structure of the Bird’s Nest and put up a crystal-palace-like music hall of 30 meters high and over 100 meters wide. Several giant screens were set up to give the audience a full view of the spectacular performances. In other words, people from every corner of the hall can “fully appreciate the delicate movement of the fingers of Lang Lang playing the piano”.

As for lighting and stage design, all the engineering teams have had successful experience during the Beijing Olympics. Top notch sound engineers from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as those from the United States and Japan were invited. Chief lighting designer Sha Xiaolan was confident in producing a world class music concert of spectacular visual effects.

Six sets of outfits

For the concert at the Bird’s Nest on June 30, Song will appear in six dazzling outfits, specially commissioned from top designers from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Italy, France, Japan, etc. Those suits are the embodiment of both international fashion trends and traditional Chinese elements. Song Zuying entered the world stage in her Chinese style dress, especially her distinctive costumes based on centuries-old traditions of the Miao ethnic group, and this time she will give a concert at home with international flare, according to the organizer.

Song’s first try at dancing

Song has been busying with physical exercise these days. Besides swimming and running, she received secret dance training too. According to informed sources, Song will dance with one the honored guests, probably Jay Chou, the most popular Chinese pop singer, or Placido Domingo, the world famous Spanish tenor.

Secret gifts to surprise the audience

During the concert, there will be three rounds of interactive activities, when the audience can get a closer access with Song Zuying, Domingo, Lang Lang and Jay Chou. At the end of the concert, many made-in-Japan gifts with autographs from the artists will be given away to the audience.