Star-studded lineup for festive season

From Christmas carols to New Year concerts and a Chinese edition of The Nutcracker, Shanghai Oriental Art Center's festive season comprises 56 productions taking place through Feb 16.

Among the most anticipated of productions is the Jan 11 recital by Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, who will be performing in China for the first time.

Born in 1979, the renowned Opolais has performed at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Wiener Staatsoper in Austria, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

During her trip to Shanghai, the Latvian will present highlights from operas such as La Rondine and Madame Butterfly, as well as art songs by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.

"She will give this one and only concert during this China tour, so this is a very rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of the diva," says Gu Shengyin, a spokesperson with SHOAC.

On New Year's Eve at SHOAC, the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra will present two concerts at 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm conducted by Laszlo Kovacs. On the two following nights, Berliner Symphonikier will play under the baton of Lior Shambadal. Aside from festive favorites such as Waltz and Polka by Richard and Johann Strauss II, the orchestra will also play Chinese compositions such as the Dragon Boat Ballad, adapted from a traditional Chinese folk song.

Chinese tenors Wei Song, Shi Yijie, Han Peng and Yu Haolei will then present a recital on the evening of New Year's Day. The quartet of artists, who have been active in the opera scene home and abroad for many years, will present a concert of beloved arias from the operas by Verdi, Puccini and Rossini, as well as a medley of Chinese art songs and folk songs.

To celebrate Christmas and New Year, SHOAC will host a localized production of The Nutcracker by the National Ballet of China from Jan 8 to 9. Premiered in 2001 and revised in 2010, the ballet presents a "long scroll of Chinese festive customs" in the classical music of The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, according to Feng Ying, director of the National Ballet of China.

In the localized version of The Nutcracker, the protagonist is a girl named Clara who lives in a hutong in Beijing. In a dream on New Year's Eve, she meets with a legendary monster named Nian and embarks on a mystical journey through the world of Chinese folklore.

From Feb 15 to 16, conductor Andris Nelsons will lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra on a tour in China, presenting two concerts at SHOAC that feature pianist Yefim Bronfman.