The National Center for the Performing Arts has marked international Women's Day with a symphony concert. The performance, featuring Eastern and Western classics, was directed by veteran female conductor, Zheng Xiaoying.

The NCPA concert, held on Tuesday evening, comprised an array of Eastern and Western classics. The programme included several pieces on a distinctly female theme, including an excerpt from Bizet's "Carmen", the Overture from Verdi's 'La Traviata', and an excerpt from Smetana's "The Bartered Bride".

The programme was selected by conductor-for-the-night, Zheng Xiaoying, China's first-ever female symphony conductor.

ZHENG XIAOYING CONDUCTOR "The concert is for International Women's Day, so when I was selecting the music, I wanted to choose something that would be appealing to our female friends. Tonight we feature many operas, which all tell the stories of women."

The concert brought together several female soloists. This, Zheng hoped, would make the evening more memorable.

For the 90-year-old conductor, the occasion was an opportunity for the women involved, herself included to give of their best. By doing so, they could deliver the message that there's no difference between men and women when it comes to performing music.

ZHENG XIAOYING CONDUCTOR "In my view, there's no gender difference in conducting music. Whether you're a male or a female artist, when you're on stage, you're the 'commander' of the orchestra. You have to be skilled at your job and do your best to direct the concert. Today, there are many fine female conductors in China, but few of them are known to the public. They're highly accomplished and quite experienced as conductors, but they need more opportunities."

Born in 1929 in Fujian Province, Zheng is a pioneer both as a woman and as a musician. She was the first Chinese conductor to take up the baton at several of the world's leading opera houses. She is also one of only a handful of female conductors active on the international stage today. YANG RAN, CGTN.