China Philharmonic Orchestra performs for Pope

The China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) and the Shanghai Opera House Chorus held an unprecedented concert at the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican on Wednesday, marking the first time that Chinese artists performed in the city.

Pope Benedict XVI was in the audience listening to the performance of Mozart's Requiem and Chinese folk song Jasmine, CRI reports.

The concert was conducted by Yu Long and featured Chinese soprano Rao Lan, mezzo-soprano Cao Zheng, tenor Zhang Jianyi and baritone Gong Dongjian.

The performance was a last-minute addition to the group's European tour, said Yu Long.

“It is an extra honor to play at the Vatican. I would be pleased to know that the concert is a further move on both sides," the New York Times quotes Yu as saying.

The landmark concert has been viewed as signaling a possible thaw in the historically chilly relations between the Vatican and the Chinese government, according to the New York Times.