Leipzig Opera House will perform Strass' opera Ariadne auf Naxos (above and below) at the festival. [Photo/China Daily]

In the past 16 years, the festival has presented operas that were rarely staged in China, with many even debuting here. Alban Berg's controversial opera Lulu in 2002, Wagner's full-length Ring Cycle in 2006 and Richard Strauss' The Knight of the Rose in 2008 are among those.

In 2010, the festival and Boston Symphony co-commissioned Chinese composer Zhou Long to create the opera Madame White Snake, which earned him a Pulitzer in 2011. Last year, the festival presented five operas, including Wagner's Parsifal, co-produced with Salzburg Easter Festival.

This year, the festival brings Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos and Elektra to China.

Yu says his dream is to someday produce The Woman without a Shadow, because "musically, it is one of the composer's most complicated and beautiful scores, but a big challenge to stage to any major opera house. It needs some 13 top soloists, a large orchestra and elaborate sets, which requires a really big sum of money."

This year, the festival will also celebrate the life of Chinese musician Huang Zi (1904-38). Huang is the grandfather of Tu Song, program director of the BMF.

"My grandfather created a lot of choir works. Two to three generations of Chinese people grew up with his songs. It's a shame that I was born after his death, but his songs will be passed on," says Tu.