The maestro and his opera academy in Suzhou

When 83-year-old conductor Riccardo Muti reflects on his musical training, he is proud of his teachers, especially Antonino Votto (1896-1985), the Italian conductor who was Arturo Toscanini's assistant at Milan's Teatro alla Scala. Muti, who is one of the world's preeminent conductors, has led some of the most important orchestras in the world, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the New York Philharmonic, and the Vienna Philharmonic.

"Toscanini knew Verdi. Toscanini played under Verdi at the premiere of Otello. So there is a lineage. All the things that Votto taught me, you don't find in the books," says Muti, who was born in Naples, and graduated from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan.

With the goal of passing on what he learned from his teachers, he launched the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy in 2015, the first round of which was held in Ravenna. Since then, talented young musicians and an audience of music lovers from all over the world have participated in the annual program, which has been hosted in cities around the world, including Milan, Seoul and Tokyo.

On Saturday, Muti and his program arrived in Suzhou in Jiangsu province, the first time the prestigious event has been held in China. In collaboration with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, it has brought together 15 young conductors and seven singers selected from a global pool.

From last Saturday to this coming Sunday, the participants have been receiving personal guidance from Muti himself, who is leading them through intense courses and rehearsals focused on the Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry), an opera in one act by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni.

The project will culminate in two concert performances on Saturday and Sunday, featuring the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra and notable Chinese choirs, including the China National Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and the Tianjin Conservatory of Music Youth Choir. Four conductors will have the opportunity to participate in the concerts.

"I come from a time when tradition was highly valued and passed on with respect. But now, unfortunately, tradition seems to be lost," Muti says.

"Now, conducting seems to be a very easy thing. Though these young conductors have graduated from very famous schools, they know nothing about opera. They just walk onto the stage and wave their arms, which seems to be a performance, or let's say, an act," Muti continues. "Votto used to say that a good opera conductor must absorb the 'dust of the backstage'. You must know the technical aspects, the lighting, and be involved in everything — not just the music."