"The duet by Song and Domingo was the highlight of the evening to me. I thought the strong tenor voice of Domingo and the feminine sound of Song complemented each other very well. With the correct duet song selection, their voices would be amazing together," he said.

A survey conducted by Lianxin Tianxia, a celebrity rating company, revealed that up to 67 percent of the audience enjoyed the crossover fusion between artists from various musical genres.

Folk songs

About half of the performances were Song's solos of select Chinese folk songs. Belonging to the Miao ethnic group, a nationality fond of dancing and singing, Song rose to fame from a humble beginning.

Her vocal educator, Jin Tielin, President of the China Conservatory of Music, said Song attained fame because of her perseverance and diligence. "She was always there in the basement she rented, waiting for my call to give her lessons," Jin said, recalling the days when he tutored her.

The low-key soprano was born to sing. For years, Song has attempted to combine folk songs with elements of bel canto and pop music in order to make Chinese folk songs more acceptable to young audiences in China and around the world.

She was the first female Chinese singer to perform solo concerts overseas, starting at the Sydney Opera House in Australia in 2002 and then Vienna and Washington, D.C.

In her album The Diva Goes to the Movies, launched during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of China's movie industry, Song reinterpreted 14 theme songs of classic Chinese films. The album was nominated for Best Classical Crossover Album at the 49th Grammy Awards in 2006.