The
PREPARATIONS...
The
event was organized by the People's Republic of China Ministry of Culture
and presented by CEC - the Cultural Entertainment Company - in cooperation
with 
CPAA
- the China Performing Arts Agency - and O.O.S. — Opera
on Original Site, Inc. - a company experienced in marketing and
promoting large-scale open-air productions.
Five years of preparatory work were involved before, in the spring 1997, O.O.S. — Opera on Original Site, Inc., received the necessary permits and an official invitation from the Chinese authorities to produce Turandot in 1998 in the Forbidden City. The total budget amounted to almost 15 million US Dollars.
The same producers who were successful with "The Three Tenors" concerts are undertaking this project. The team has proven its ability through annual seasons at the Arena di Verona and the unique production of "Aida" at Luxor to realize large-scale open-air productions of the highest possible standard
In addition to the eight performances of Turandot,there were two Matinee outdoor performances of
Guiseppe Verdi's "Requiem",also conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta.
.
