Golden tenor

Cai has more than 1.7 million followers on Sina Weibo and is called "golden tenor" by his fans.

The young singer has already performed at major cultural gigs such as the Spring Festival Gala, one of the most-watched annual events in the country, participated in several variety shows, as well as starred in classic operas, including Don Giovanni, La Traviata and Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

He says he hopes his songs would ignite within those listeners who are not familiar with the art of opera a passion to attend theatrical presentations of classical music and operatic performances.

"A larger audience for opera would inspire us performers and foster the development of the operatic industry," he says. "For me, the subtle, exhilarating communication that takes place between the audience and performers is truly captivating."

He adds that with the improvement of living standards in China, the opera audience is developing. In recent years, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where Cai is pursuing his master's degree, has not only been regularly rehearsing classic Western operas, but also working to create original Chinese operas.

"I believe that everything in this industry is moving in a positive direction," he says.