China's internationally acclaimed opera company is contributing a total of three productions to this year's festival, including Thursday night's "Carmen," which also involved the local Saaremaa Children's Choir, a dance gala, and Wen Deqing's modern opera "The Wager," which premiered at the Amadeus Festival in Geneva in 2003 and has since also been performed at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland as well as in London.

Established in 1956, the Shanghai Opera House has become a leading institution in the performing arts both in Shanghai and in all of China. In its over 60-year history, the opera company has earned 67 awards for 47 different productions in China and abroad.

The Saaremaa Opera Days will continue in Kuressaare through 28 July.