German orchestra's festive feast

While there may be more than 80 New Year concerts going on in Beijing in the holiday season, there are only a few to choose from if you want to attend one that best embodies the festival spirit.

One of these is the concert by the Dresdner Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by its artistic director Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos at the Great Hall of the People on Dec 31.

The 76-year-old Spanish maestro Burgos studied violin, piano, music theory and composition in Spain, and then learned conducting in Munich where he was awarded the Richard Strauss Prize. He conducts all over the world and has served at chief conductor or music director at a long list of world-renowned orchestras, such as the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Vienna Symphony. The list of orchestras for which he has been guest conductor, or has toured with, runs even longer.