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Lucerne Festival in Switzerland

Ever since the first music festival in 1938, Lucerne has attracted the crme de la crme every summer: orchestras and conductors, vocal and instrumental soloists, and ensembles from every corner of the globe congregate to perform and watch others perform.

The theme of the 2011 Summer Festival, running through Sept 18, is "Night" and the program will focus on composers who are visionaries and dreamers, as well as "nocturnal" genres, such as the nocturne and the serenades.

Among those performing will be the Vienna and Berlin philharmonics, the Chicago Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and both the Berlin and Dresden Staatskapelle orchestras. Celebrated conductors appearing at the Festival include Bernard Haitink, Claudio Abbado (Lucerne Festival Orchestra) and Pierre Boulez (Lucerne Festival Academy). The composer-in-residence will be Georg Friedrich Haas.

For more info, log on to: www.lucernefestival.ch

Marilyn Monroe in the Arts

From April 16 to Oct 30, the International Exhibition Center of Crete in Greece will present the exhibition "Marilyn Monroe in The Arts".

With 200 exhibits - great artworks, famous photographs like the "subway grate scene" otherwise known as "her flying skirt". Eighty well-known artists such as Andy Warhol, Mel Ramos, Peter Blake, Eve Arnold, Mimmo Rotella and Sam Shaw will capture the celebrity and the myth of the most famous woman of the 20th century, illuminate her unshakable popularity and unveil her public life, secret private moments as well as the dark side of stardom.

For more details, log on to: www.crete-exhibitions.com

A summer of Edinburgh festivals

When it comes to parties, no one throws a celebration quite like Edinburgh. The first party of the season is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which this year runs through Aug 30. It draws crowds from all over the world and has something for everyone: theater, comedy, music, dance and musicals.

Next up is the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is a unique blend of music, ceremony, entertainment and theater set against the magnificent Edinburgh Castle creating one of the world's greatest shows. This year marks the Diamond Jubilee of the Royal Military Tattoo and it runs through Sunday.

The Edinburgh International Festival came to town on Aug 13, running until Sept 5. For these 3 weeks, the finest in classical music, theater, opera and dance gather to present one of the most innovative festivals of the performing arts.

For more details, log on to: www.visitbritain.com

China Daily - Agencies

(China Daily 08/28/2011 page16)