Tenor Joseph Calleja broke away from his packed European schedule to give two moving performances on Malta Day at the Shanghai World Expo yesterday.
"I am proud to perform at this major international event," he said, after a 20-minute appearance at the inauguration ceremony. "It is part of my personal mission to take classical music to the four corners of the world. Right now, my very intense performance schedule is taking me across Europe and it was not easy to fit in a visit to Shanghai. Fortunately, I was able to reschedule some of my engagements."
Mr Calleja, who gave a concert in the Expo Centre's World Hall to a larger audience in the evening, is now scheduled to perform in Croatia, Germany, London's Royal Albert Hall and Royal Opera House, as well as in Canada.
Earlier, the national flag was raised during a ceremony outside the Expo Centre. The official delegation, led by Malta Enterprise chairman Alan Camilleri and accompanied by a trade mission, was welcomed by the Expo's deputy commissioner-general Chai Xi, a former ambassador to Malta.
A flag-waving crowd lined the red carpet before a military band played the national anthem. The welcoming ceremony was held inside the centre where a large screen displaying Malta's Expo logo stood over a red stage.
In his address, Mr Camilleri said the islands hoped the six-month event would serve to strengthen relations with China. Malta, he added, was one of the Chinese's favourite destinations.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 people are visiting Malta's 350-square metre corner pavilion every day, and yesterday morning long queues formed outside, despite the drizzle.
With the theme 7,000 Years - A Life Centre, the pavilion takes visitors on a journey into the islands' history and boasts the latest technology in intelligent lighting and audio-visuals.
After walking past flowing sculptural forms representing the islands' megalithic heritage and depictions of contemporary island life, visitors watch an 18-minute version of The Malta Experience in Chinese and English in a round theatre.
The pavilion, housing a fully-fledged Café Jubilee seating 45 people, features replicas of Caravaggio's The Beheading of St John and of the Goddess of Fertility.
Five Maltese and two Malta-resident Chinese hostesses make up the pavilion team, supported by 18 Chinese staff.
Fifteen In Guardia! re-enactors added colour and spectacle with parades outside the stand throughout the week as the Expo turned the spotlight on Europe.
Malta is part of the Joint European Pavilion, where it shares a "street" with Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Armenia, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Albania.
Staff said visitors to the Malta pavilion make varied enquiries on business and investment opportunities, tourism, education and visas.
Malta Day and Mr Calleja's planned performance were featured in the Shanghai Daily and on the front page of the Expo's portal yesterday.
The Expo, which closes on October 31, is receiving between 200,000 and 400,000 visitors a day. Chinese authorities are working to iron out teething problems like long queuing times and are reviewing ticket pricing to boost numbers further. Over 70 million people are expected to visit the showcase on the world until October.