Taking it to the next stage

This year, the opening show will be held on April 25 at the National Center for the Performing Arts, which will see the China National Traditional Orchestra perform under the baton of conductor Liu Sha, along with musicians from many other Asian countries including violinist Ustad Rais Ahmed Khan from Pakistan, the Kinnaree Art Troupe from Thailand, the Has-Sak ethno-folk ensemble from Kazakhstan, and the singers Do Thi Thanh Hoa from Vietnam and Suizenji Kiyoko from Japan. Soloists from the China National Traditional Orchestra, including pipa player Zhao Cong and percussionist Zhu Jianping, will join in the show. Their repertoire will include musical works from China and all around Asia.

According to Xi Qiang, president of the China National Traditional Orchestra, the theme of the opening concert will be "Harmonious Asia", where the audience will see more than 10 traditional musical instruments from countries around Asia being played.

Ballet Gala of Asia, a show given by four ballet companies from around the region - the National Ballet of China, the Universal Ballet from South Korea, the Philippine Ballet Theatre and the Hong Kong Ballet - will be held on May 14 at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, featuring programs that include extracts from Swan Lake, Don Quixote and Le Corsaire.

The art troupe of Brigham Young University, one of the largest private universities in the United States, has been performing in China since 1979. To mark the 40th anniversary of BYU's first tour of China, the troupe will perform a range of musical works, from classical and folk to Broadway, during two concerts at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on May 24 and 25.