JZ festival

The 2011 JZ Shanghai Music Festival, the city's largest and longest running, will begin at the weekend. More than 100 artists and bands will gather and perform jazz, folk, electronic and rock. On Oct 15 and 16, artists including Roy Ayers, Tower of Power, Zhou Yunpeng, Hanjin Tan and Olivia Ong, will perform at six outdoor stages in the Expo Park. This will be followed by the "Masters Hall" indoor concerts by the Erik Truffaz Quartet, Kenny Garrett Quartet and others, at the Shanghai Center Theater from Oct 18 to 22.

1 pm, Oct 15-16, Shanghai Expo Park, Pudong; 8 pm, Oct 18-22, Shanghai Center Theater, 1376 Nanjing Xilu, Jing'an district. 021-962388

Austrian quartet

The four members of the Hagen Quartet - Lukas Hagen, Rainer Schmidt, Veronika Hagen and Clemens Hagen - all teachers and mentors at the Salzburg Mozarteum and Basel Conservatory, are well known at home and abroad. For their Chinese concert they will present Haydn's String Quartet Op 33 No 2 in E-flat Major, Bartok's String Quartet No 4 Sz 91, as well as some of Beethoven's works.

7:30 pm, Oct 21. Shanghai Concert Hall, 523 Yan'an Donglu. 021-5108-6048

Life and temptations

A specially commissioned ballet, The Temptation of Life, will have its world premiere at the 13th CSIAF (China Shanghai International Arts Festival). The Bejart Ballet Lausanne is Switzerland's best and known worldwide. The founder, Maurice Bejart, is considered one of the greatest choreographers of contemporary times and is acclaimed for his distinctive stage sets.

7:15 pm, Oct 21, 22. Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Dadao. 021-6386-8686

Confucian inspiration

Artist Zhang Huan is presenting his latest project at Rockbund Museum. His solo show Q Confucius features a giant sculpture of Confucius that leads visitors to dozens of oil paintings, ash paintings and installations. The Shanghai-based artist explores the impact of Confucius on art, society, and religion in China today.

In recent years, Zhang has moved away from performance art to focus on Buddhist sculptures and paintings. He often uses incense ash, which he collects from temples, to create paintings and sculptures.

10 am-6 pm, until Jan 29, except Mondays. Rockbund Art Museum, 20 Huqiu Lu. 021-3310-9985