Listings: Beijing
STAGE
The Beifang Kunqu Opera House begins its season of performances in Beijing. The program includes The Fatal Opera, Peony Pavilion and Lanke Mountain. Established in 1957, the opera house boasts of its repertoires and outstanding performers.
7:30 pm, until March 22
The Great Theater of China Nationalities, 49 Fuxingmennei Dajie, Xicheng District
6602-2530
In the musical Hello Kitty Dream Fantasy, the princess and prince of the universe, Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel, are emissaries of the Universe Carnival, to Earth. With their friends, they bring love and music. This awakens the Emperor of Darkness. Finally, they conquer the darkness and restore happiness to everyone on Earth.
7:30 pm, March 21-23
Opera House of People's Liberation Army, 60 Deshengmennei Dajie, Jishuitan, Haidian District
6406-9999
A chorus and symphony concert featuring Brahms' works will take place. Cornell University Chorus has been invited to perform Ein Deutsches Requiem and Hungary Dance.
7:30 pm, March 15
Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square
6559-8285
To celebrate the 110th anniversary of its foundation, Peking University has invited China Central Ballet to perform the classic ballet The Red Detachment of Women. It is set in the 1930s on Hainan Island, where a woman rejects her depressing life and becomes a solider in the all-women Red Army.
7 pm, March 14,15
Peking University Concert Hall, Peking University, Haidian District
6275-2279
The Chinese Acrobatics Group, established in 1950, has toured more than 80 countries, won numerous international awards and has helped foster friendships between China and other nations. Its performance includes traditional acrobatics, a circus show, magic, old Beijing folk plays and more. The show blends music, dance, local opera and martial arts.
7:30 pm, daily
Tiandi Theater, Dongsi Shitiao, 100 m north of Poly Theater, Chaoyang District
6416-9893
CONCERTS
Born in 1979, Cellist Wang Jian has toured around Asia, Europe and America over the past few decades. His performance blends a classic repertoire with oriental elements.
7:30 pm, March 23
National Center for the Performing Arts, west of Tian'anmen Square
5883-6800
Pianist Li Yundi's piano recital will take place at the Egg Shell. Born in 1982, in Chongqing, Li made his name after winning first prize at the 2000 Chopin International Piano Competition. Programs include Chopin's Mazurka Op 33, Liszt's Ballade No 2 in B Minor, Rachmaninov's Piano Sonata No 2 in B Flat Minor Op 36 and others.
7:30 pm, March 27
National Center for the Performing Arts, west of Tian'anmen Square
5883-6800
Irish cellist William Butt will hold a solo concert in Beijing. Born in London, Butt has cooperated with the Irish National Symphony Orchestra since 2001 and is now a first cellist in the orchestra. Programs include Bach's Cello Suites No 1, Beethoven's Sonata in D Major for Piano and Cello Op 102 No 2, Schumann's Fantasia Op 73, Debussy's Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Minor and Popper Elfentanz's Dance of the Elves.
7 pm, March 14,16
Peking University Concert Hall, Peking University, Haidian District
6275-2279
Austrian pianist Dejan Lazic will hold a solo piano concert. He has appeared at major venues across Europe and America during the past few years. He is also a composer. His latest concert includes Chopin's Nocturne, Ballade in A Flat Major, Polonaises in E Flat Major, Scherzo in B Minor; Scarlatti's six sonatas as well as Bartok's Bulgaria Waltz.
7:30 pm, March 30
Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square
6559-8285
The 11th session of the season for the China Philharmonic Orchestra includes Tchaikovsky's Variation on a Rococo Theme, Gustav Mahler's Symphony Orchestra No 4 and Bruch's Romance for Viola and Orchestra. Viola: Maxim Rysanov; soprano: Rao Lan; conductor: Yu Long.
7:30 pm, March 23
Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
6605-7006
Exhibitions
Precious items from the Perez Simon Foundation are being exhibited in Beijing. There will be 100 classic oil paintings on display from the 19th century. The exhibits have been selected to cover the main painting schools of that period, including Classicism, Romanism, Realism, Impressionism and Pre-Raphaelite works. Viewers can see works from such great names as Turner, Corot, Munch, Renoir, Pissaro and others. The initiator of the foundation, Juan Antonio Perez Simon, is an entrepreneur from Mexico.
9 am-5 pm, until June 8
Beijing World Art Museum, China Millennium Monument, A9 Fuxinglu, Haidian District
6851-3322
Flying White is the fourth solo exhibition for artist Wu Yang, who comments on China's fast developing urban landscapes with striking black-and-white abstract images on photographic paper. The artist calls her series Public Space, highlighting the growing importance of public spaces on our everyday lives.
Critics say Wu's artistic language is contemporary but have the ambience of Chinese ink paintings. Respected art critic Fang Zhenning curates the exhibition.
10 am-5:30 pm, March 16-April 15
FANGART, Room 510, Block 16, Houxiandai-cheng, 16 Baiziwanlu, Chaoyang District, Beijing
8776-5159
Veteran artist Lin Chunda's oil paintings combine Impressionism with traditional Chinese brush techniques. In an effort to present three-dimensional effects, Lin employs overlapped stipple effects and lines.
9 am-5 pm, until March 21
National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District
6401-7076
Paintings by four monk artists of the Qing Dynasty - Hong Ren, Kun Can, Zhu Da and Shi Tao - unveil their approaches to man and nature. Having converted to Buddhism for different reasons they express themselves and gain spiritual comfort from painting and calligraphy.
8:30am-5pm, until April 10
East gallery in the Palace of Prolonging Happiness, Palace Museum, 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng District
8511-7575
Dialogue is about two woman artists' passion for life. Oil paintings of floral motifs by Jiang Jin combine with soothing images of cheese and cake by Wu Yang.
10 am-4 pm, till March 30
Songzhuang A District Gallery, Xiaopu, Songzhuang, Tongzhou, Beijing
6959-3773
Back to tradition is the call of the 15 artists. Ai Weiwei's oil paintings establish a nostalgic flavor among landscapes and figurative elements. Geng Jianli finds youthful memories among blurred images on the grassland. Shen Shaomin reconstructs ancient architecture.
11 am-6 pm, until March 16
White Space, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
8456-2054
Some Italian sculptors are showing their works at the Art Museum of China National Academy of Painting
(pictured right). Co-organized by China International Art Exhibition Agency and Garuzzo Institute for the Visual Arts from Italy, the exhibition features 50 works by 31 of the most active Italian contemporary artists, including Roberto Almagno, Pietro Consagra and Riccardo Cordero. The artists have different takes on traditional forms by, for instance, creating channels for other materials, constructing forms that can react to the movement of real and artificial light, enlarging environmental and imaginary spaces by including icons and sounds emitted by mass media.
"We have witnessed how the term 'sculpture', in the present day, is no longer able to encompass all of the modes of production adopted by today's artists," curator Marisa Vescovo says.
10 am - 5pm, until April 1
Art Museum of China National Academy of Painting, 54 Xisanhuan Beilu, Haidian District
Liu Yang's oil paintings portray seascapes and still lives. A kind of tension exists in his works, with spontaneous brush strokes recording his moods. Sometimes, however, there is stuff going on under the surface and a hint of doom.
10 am-5 pm, until March 18
Top Red Art, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
8459-9633
Urban architecture, mottled trees under the mountain, boats on the bank - Wang Tieniu's oil on canvas works are suffused with a strong Russian flavor. Having studied oil painting in Russia in the 1990s, Wang now teaches at the fine arts institute of Tsinghua University. On display are 50 of his landscape works.
10 am-8 pm, until March 18
Beijing Russian Art Gallery, inside Sanyu Hotel, 2 Changpocun, Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District
6776-8593
Zhang Dawo's ink paintings are abstract in nature and have nods toward calligraphy. Zhang also borrows elements from dance, music and architecture.
10 am-7 pm, until March 23
Creation Gallery, North end of Ritan Lu, Chaoyang District
8561-7570
Retrospective show Fish in Art invites six artists, who paint, engrave, photograph and use video. Li Tianyuan uses simple compositions and subdued colors to convey Taoist ideas. Under Zhu Jin's brush, the fossil images of fish allude to the contradictions of modern people, somehow.
10 am-5 pm, until March 23
West Bank Art, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
Cang Xin's Mythology deals with human and universal values through the five Taoist basic elements: Metal, water, wood, fire and soil. These are richly imaginative surrealist images that appeal for ancient order, belief and etiquette.
9am-4pm, until March 15
Today Art Museum, 32 Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang District
5876-9690
Taiwan's Tsai Hsiu-Yueh, 56, is holding her first solo exhibition of oil paintings in Beijing. Though she started painting at 14 and won many awards, Tsai became a successful architect. She rediscovered her interest in painting when she was 47 years old. Since then, she has put her heart into perfecting her oil painting skills.
Tsai's poetic works are mainly inspired by her memories of early life, and her dreams and observations about daily life.
11 am -6 pm, until April 6
Frank Lin Art Center, 798 Art Zone, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
6431-9498
Vanguard artists from China and Europe will hold a group show. It will feature digitally-morphed photos, video works, and mixed media works from such prominent contemporary artists as Wang Qingsong, Miao Xiaochun, Marina Abramovic, and Jorma Puranen.
10 am -6 pm, March 21- April 18
China Blue Gallery, 7 Yigou Kongjian Buildings, 16A Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang District
8774-6332
(China Daily 03/14/2008 page20)
