Performance

Prose read by pros

Accompanied by chamber music, veteran performers including Zheng Rong, Pu Cunxin and Xiao Xiong will deliver a poetry and prose recital of Chinese and foreign literary works. Extracts will be read from works by Lu Xun, Lao She, Zhu Ziqing, and Xu Zhimo, as well as Shakespeare, Pushkin, Shelley and Hemingway. 7:30pm, Apr 19, 20. Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square. 6559-8285. ,

Ritual inspiration

The White Dance Temple, a dance troupe from Taiwan, will stage a lively 60-minute production based on religious rituals of local customs. 40-120 yuan. 7:30pm, Apr 4-7. Nine Theater, Chaoyang Culture Center, Xiaozhuang, Chaoyang District. 8599-6011.

Classics meet movie music

The Auckland Symphony Orchestra will present popular classics and movie music. Founded in 1975, the orchestra often holds regular free family concerts. On the program are Paganini's La Campanella, Strauss's Blue Danube and Radetzky March, Daverne's Youth of Auckland, as well as theme movie music works. Conductor: Gary Daverne, violinist: Amalia Hall. 80-880 yuan. 7:30pm, Apr 14. Century Theater, Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. 6468-3311. ,

Hutong life

The National Theater Company of China will stage four-act modern drama The Mortal World (Hongchen) which is adapted from Huo Da's novel of the same title. The story is set in a small lane in 1960s Beijing. The ordinary lives of the residents are changed with the footsteps of the time and the influence of history. 20-160 yuan. 7:30pm, Apr 14; 2pm, Apr 15. Peking University Concert Hall, Peking University, Haidian District. 6275-2279.

Ode to spring

The seasonal concert of the China Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will continue with Berlioz's Overture Roman Carnival, Lalo's Symphony Espagnole, Stravinsky's La Sacre du Printemps. Conductor: Philippe Auguin; violinist: Zhu Dan. 50-680 yuan. 7:30pm, Apr 1. Poly Theater, Dongsi Shitiao, Chaoyang District. 6506-5345.

Traditional opera

A performance season of Peking Opera and Kun Opera will be staged by troupes including the Beijing Peking Opera House, Academy of Chinese Traditional Opera, China Peking Opera House and The Northern Kun Opera House. 30-70 yuan. 7:30pm, until Apr 6. The Great Theater of China Nationalities, 49 Fuxingmennei Dajie, Xicheng District. 6602-2530.

Body language

Modern dance production Unspeakable uses body language to tap the process of human beings on their way to finding light and illusion. 40-120 yuan. 7:30pm, Apr 7. Haidian Theater, 84 Haidian Lu. 6255-8026.

US soprano

American singer Renee Fleming will give a recital. The performance will include Richard Strauss's works and Italian arias. 80-880 yuan. 7:30pm, Apr 7. Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square. 6559-8285.

Exhibitions

Italian sculpture

An exhibition featuring Italian sculpture art is now on display at the Capital Museum. The Bust of Medusa, a marble sculpture created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from 1644-48, is the show's haunting centerpiece. The most beautiful and fierce among the demons, Medusa's head was twined with snakes. Once killed, her head was used to decorate the shield of the Goddess of Wisdom. 30 yuan. 9am-5pm until Apr 1. Capital Museum, 16 Fuxingmenwai Dajie, Xicheng District. 6337-0491.

Innovation with ink

Liu Qinghe incorporates traditional Chinese brush techniques into his unique ink-and-wash style. The images of various hues are exaggerated; the natural landscape is portrayed with surrealist flavor. Graduating in 1987 from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Liu is an associated professor of the institute. 20 yuan. 9am-5pm, until Apr 5. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District. 6401-7076.

Various styles

The retrospective show of the China Artists Association's American tour of early 2007 gathers 50 works by artists including Liu Dawei, Zhang Daoxing and Li Baolin. With ink paintings and oil on canvas, they express themselves in various styles. This contemporary Chinese art collection includes realistic portraits, abstract landscape and lyric flower-and-bird works. 20 yuan. 9am-5pm, until Apr 5. National Art Museum of China. 6401-7076.

Oil paintings

This contemporary oil painting exhibition features more than 30 works of young Chinese painters such as Liu Wanmin and Xiao Se. Through a variety of images and approaches, the paintings reflect the artists' perceptions of the age they live in. Liu's dim color scheme records the familiar, dull scene of town streets. Free. 9:30am-6pm, until Mar 31. Qin Gallery, 1-1E Huawei Li, north of Beijing Curio City, Chaoyang District. 8779-0461.

Silk paintings

Israeli female artist Ruth Shani's solo exhibition Back to China with Love shows her unique approach to painting on silk. Born in Berlin, Shani escaped with her family to China when the Nazis came to power in 1939. In Shanghai she studied the techniques of painting on silk and Chinese culture. She immigrated to Israel later and continued as a painter. Free. 11am-6pm, until Mar 31. XYZ Gallery, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. 8459-9299.

Dots form meaning

Entitled Meanings out of Dots, Cheng Yong's oil paintings are in Braille form. After years of research, Chen gave up traditional techniques and employed Braille dots, presenting simple abstract forms. The tidy colorful dots detail the artist's behavior and experience. Free. 10:30am-5:30pm, until Apr 3. Imagine Gallery, Feijiacun Donglu, Cuigezhuang, Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang District. 6438-5747.

Space extended

Entitled Unreal, Huang Jun's photographs capture the vastness of the sky and space. The focal points are highlighted in color, the backgrounds in black-and-white. Cloud swirls among the ancient architecture; space is extended to the distance. Free. 10am-6pm, until Apr 5. Red T Space, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. 8911-5762.

Illusion of life

Su Xinping's print exhibition shows his works from 1988-2006. Born in Inner Mongolia in 1960, Su is the dean of the print department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. His Running Horse series is impressive. In The Sea of Desire series, people stretch their arms to the sky in vacant spaces, trying to grasp their desire from the emptiness. Free. 9am-8pm, until Apr5. Wall Art Museum, Fulllink Plaza, Chaowai Dajie, Chaoyang District. 6588-2202.

Rustic inspiration

Russian young artist Dmitry Vasily's oil paintings bear two distinctive styles. A delicate brush technique is employed in still-life works and historical themes with changing color schemes. An impressionist style is used for landscapes with the impasto conveying water ripples and the subdued hint of floating cloud. Free. 9am-5pm, until Apr 8. Beijing Russian Art Gallery, inside Sanyu Hotel, 2 Changpocun, Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District. 6776-8593.

Cable broadcasting

The 2007 China International Cable Broadcasting Network and Service Expo occupies an area of 44,700 square meters. The annual event brings together the top products and concepts of this field. 9am-4pm, Mar 27-Apr 1. China International Exhibition Center, 6 Beisanhuan Donglu, Chaoyang Distirct. 8460-0000.

Home decoration

The Eighth Interior Decoration Expo caters to housewives and art designers. 9am-5pm, Mar 28-31. Beijing Exhibition Hall, Xizhimenwai, Xicheng District. 6835-4457.

(China Daily 03/28/2007 page12)