The world's top tenor sang eight songs selected from operas and musicals including Madam Butterfly, La Traviata, Don Giovanni and West Side Story, together with sopranos Ana Maria Martinez and Zhang Liping at the two-and-half-hour recital.

His audience applauded so much that the tenor had to sing a five-song encore, including a Chinese folk song.

Domingo visited Shanghai in 2001 and held a recital with renowned local Chinese tenor Liao Changyong.

"The visit last year impressed me very much and I am really happy to be back in this beautiful city," he said.

Domingo's recital was the 51st and last show of the Shanghai International Arts Festival, which boasted more art shows and a longer duration than any other art festival in China.

The festival attracted more than 250,000 people in the past month.

(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2002)