Feast for the ears

Before the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) opened nearly two years ago, the capital's classical music fans relied on Beijing Music Festival (BMF) to showcase the world's best soloists and orchestras every October.

NCPA has shaken BMF's dominance by putting on quality concerts throughout the year, including an opera festival in spring, the summer concert series Roam About Classics and the Beijing edition of Claudio Abbado's Lucerne Festival in autumn.

At the same time the world's best-known artists and orchestras have queued up to perform at the newly opened "Bubble" next to the Great Hall of the People, west of Tian'anmen Square.