Conductor Kazem Abdulla said Porgy and Bess is a unique piece in the operatic repertoire from a musical perspective. It is a beautiful fusion of jazz, gospel, and blues with classical music.

"There is a reason why this opera is performed all over the world … It's really a kind of representation of what America is. You have an African American story, but you have this Jewish American composer, and he brings in these Western musical elements and creates a new kind of opera that was for the 20th century," Abdulla said.

The conductor expressed his enjoyment in working with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, which has participated in the festival for eight years.

"I have to say that the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has so beautifully placed this work. I had a smile on my face for the first rehearsal. They've got all the jazz styles," said the conductor. "It's just amazing to see how the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra melds right with the Cape Town Opera as far as how they accompany and how they instinctively know what the opera is about and how the emotions of the opera have to transfer to the audience."