The world top three tenors Lucianno Pavarotti, 66, Placido Domingo, 60, and Jose Carreras 55 will gather again since 1998 World Cup in Beijing on June 23. This time they will perform and sing their praises of the Forbidden City's 2008 Olympic Bid. This is to be their first performance in the new century, and most likely the last one to be held by the trio.

Being top three tenors enjoying the greatest appeal of world music, as each of them stands at the core of Western opera, their joint performance has become a rare legendary gala of world contemporary classic operas, boldly endowing meanwhile classic arts with commercial values.

At the close of the 14th World Cup on July 7, 1990, a "century gala" by the three tenors was held in Caracalla, Rome, attracting an audience of 6,000 and 1.5bn TV watchers worldwide. Video and audio products of the performance were sold by 11m pieces. To cheer the 15th World Cup another large concert was staged on July 16, 1994 in Los Angeles, with an audience of 56,000 and 2bn watching on TV and 18m CDs sold. This was followed by another successful show for the 16th World Cup at the La Place de Trocadero and the foot of Eiffel Tower on July 10, 1998. People at the performance hit 100,000 and 1.2bn people from 110 countries watched live broadcasting.

July 23 marks the "International Olympic Day". A grand concert of Western classic opera to be held on the great square of the Forbidden City can be regarded as a gift from all Chinese and bliss of the nation's friends worldwide in voicing their support to Beijing's Olympic bid. The three tenors in recent years only sing under a few themes as sports, charity, environmental protection and world peace. Their performance is scheduled at a critical stage of Beijing's Olympic bid and at a time to showcase a new opened Beijing embracing friends from all over the world.

(People's Daily 01/18/2001)