Art beat ... finger on the pulse

Beijing

New Year for the ear

Renowned conductor Tan Lihua will lead the Beijing Symphony Orchestra at the 2013 Beijing New Year Concert. In its 11th year, the concert will see classical works, such as Johann Strauss's The Blue Danube and Tritsch Tratsch Polka, Franz von Suppe's Light Cavalry, and Chinese composer Fang Kejie's Tibetan Dance. Tan says the program's variety of works aims to appeal to a wide audience.

7:30 pm, Jan 1. Forbidden City Concert Hall, inside Zhongshan Park, west of Tian'anmen Square, Beijing. 010-6559-8285/8306.

Women to the front

The Today Art Museum is presenting a solo exhibition of Sydney-based Chinese artist Hu Ming. The exhibition contains four parts - Army Girl series, Country Girl series, Relic of the New 87 Immortals, and Human and Animal series. The army girls and country girls in Hu's paintings are strong and sunny, through which Hu tries to express the original life force. In her 16-meter-long scroll of 87 traditional Chinese gods, Hu replaces all the male gods with images of famous women from Western masterpieces. The work is her tribute to Western painting masters.

10 am to 6 pm, except Tuesday, until Jan 7. 3rd Floor, Hall 1, Today Art Museum, No 32 Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5876-0600.

Touches of ink

Two watercolor artists, Zhao Hongpu from Henan province and Li Xiaocheng from Guangdong province, are presenting one-man shows at the National Art Museum of China. Zhao, who has painted for more than five decades, displays a countryside series that depicts idyllic scenes and his imagery series that incorporates such Chinese painting skills as splashed ink and accumulated ink. Li's recent creations draw inspiration from the rich folk culture of the Chaoshan region in eastern Guangdong province.

9 am-5 pm, no admission after 4 pm, until Jan 3. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.

Shanghai

Wagner and more

China Philharmonic Orchestra's New Year concert, under the baton of Yu Long, will feature the prelude to Wagner's opera Tannhauser, which has been called "one of the most extreme depictions of sex attempted in music". Also in the program: the violin concerto The Butterfly Lovers by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, and Symphony No 5 by Tchaikovsky.

7:30 pm, Jan 6. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. 021-6854-1234.

Iconic art

Tian Wei and Qiu Jie are featured at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art. Both artists have lived abroad for a long time. While Tian is deeply influenced by the traditional Chinese calligraphy training he received as a child, Qiu has taken inspiration from old Hollywood movie posters and Chinese propaganda posters from the 1960s and '70s.

10 am-6 pm, Dec 22-Feb 16. Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art, 231 Nanjing Road W, within People's Park, Shanghai. 021-6327-9900.

Guangzhou

Folk music on show

The New Year concert to be staged at Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou on Dec 31 stands out with its focus on Chinese folk music. It gathers Li Zhaofang, a master at gaohu, or high-pitched erhu, a musical instrument often used in Cantonese music, and Ma Changsheng, a guqin artist, who plucks the seven-string Chinese instrument of the zither family. The concert includes percussion music, Cantonese tunes and melodies from Dunhuang in the desert region of Northwest China.

8 pm, Dec 31. Symphony Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu district, Guangzhou. 020-8735-2222.

Taste of Vienna

The ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, one of the three major orchestral ensembles based in Vienna, will serve a feast of flavors of the traditional Austrian New Year concert in Guangzhou on Dec 30 and 31. The repertoire includes Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto No 1 in A Minor and Johann Strauss' The Blue Danube.

8 pm, Dec 30; 7:30 pm, Dec 31 and 10 pm, Dec 31. Opera Hall, Guangzhou Opera House, Exit B1 of Zhujiang New Town subway station, Guangzhou. 020-3839-2888

A laughing start

Hong Kong artist Wong Tze-wah, the most popular stand-up comedian performing in Cantonese, promises a hilarious beginning of the year for audiences at his three shows in Guangzhou from Jan 1 to 3. His three-hour routine probes the source of the pressure for people nowadays, with Wong roasting heated topics including the much-hyped doomsday, dissatisfactory education and disparity between the rich and the poor. Wong hopes that the audience can learn to relax from the stress of life after watching the show.

7:30 pm, Jan 1-3. Guangzhou Gymnasium, 783 Baiyun Avenue South, Baiyun district, Guangzhou. 020-3663-9159.

A girl's life

Two young women unveil the emotional world of girls with their oil paintings, which are on display in Guangzhou until Jan 5. While Liu Chenyang depicts the communication between girls and animals in bright colors, Chen Jingzi exposes visitors to the dark, secret garden where girls share their happiness and sorrows with bosom friends.

10 am-7 pm daily until Jan 5 (closed on Mondays). Four-sided Museum, 128 Yuancun Siheng Lu, Tianhe district, Guangzhou. 020-3703-9535.

Feminine outlook

The Zhongshan Art Museum is presenting a trio exhibition of Shi Xu, Fan Yang and Wang Mengsha in Zhongshan, Guangdong province. The three artists express their passion for traditional Chinese ink art in different personal styles. Shi's calligraphy combines several school styles. Fan's paintings feature a soldier-like character, while Wang's women figures are tender and soft.

9 am to 6 pm, until Jan 10. Zhongshan Art Museum, Qijiang Park, Zhongshan, Guangdong province. 0760-8862-5363.

Quick pick

Prince of Piano

Li Yundi will conclude his 2012 world tour with a concert on the last day of 2012 in Beijing. Instead of the traditional venues for classical music, the 30-year-old pianist chose the Beijing Workers' Gymnasium, which usually sees popular international singers and has a capacity of 10,000 seats. It's the first time for Li to have a New Year concert and also his first time performing at the venue. He admits that it's a challenge but he is also excited to receive feedback from audiences. Li, who won the 2000 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, will perform pieces from Chopin and Beethoven. The concert will also feature Chinese folk songs, such as Colorful Clouds Chasing The Moon.

7:30 pm, Dec 31. Beijing Workers' Gymnasium, Gongti North Road, Sanlitun, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 400-610-3721.

- Chen Nan

China Daily

(China Daily 12/28/2012 page20)