Japanese drama

Supported by the Japan Foundation, a Japanese drama troupe, the Kudan Project, will tour China, staging chic dramas using multimedia styles.

Tickets: 40 to 120 yuan (US$5-14)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, October 17-19

Location: Bei Theatre (former China Youth Theatre) in Beibingmasi Lane

Tel: 6404-8021

北剧场，交道口南大街北兵马司胡同

Turning Japanese

The Matsuyama Ballet, founded in 1948, is to pay another visit to Beijing, staging Swan Lake in a chic, modern Japanese version.

Tickets: 100-800 yuan (US$12-96)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, October 17

Location: Tianqian Theatre, Beiweilu

Tel: 8315-6170

天桥剧场，宣武区北纬路30号

In from the cold

Siberian-born Russian pianist Denis Matsuev is to be given a solo showcase.

Matsuev moved to Moscow in 1991 and has won numerous awards in piano competitions worldwide.

Programme: Scenes of Childhood by Schumann, Dante Sonata and Mephis to Waltz No 1 by Liszt, Meditation, Op 72, No 5 by Tchaikovsky, Sonata No 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36 (revised) by Rachmaninoff.

Tickets: 280 yuan (US$34)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, October 18

Location: Diaoyutai State Guesthouse

Tel: 6406-8888

钓鱼台国宾馆，甘家口外

Operatic debuts

Two Chinese operas composed by contemporary composer Guo Wenjing are set for their debut. They are The Night Banquet and Wolf Cub Village.

Conductor Yang Yang (above) will lead the China Philharmonic Orchestra. Chinese vocal artists including Fan Jinma, Wu Bixia, Jiang Qihu and Wang Haitao will also perform.

Tickets: 60-380 yuan (US$7-46)

Time/dates: 7:30pm, October 19, 20

Location: Poly Theatre, Dongsi Shitiao

Tel: 6500-1188 ext 5682

保利剧院，东四十条路口

Ancient instruments

The guqin and xiao, two beautiful Chinese ancient instruments, will be played by Li Xiangting, a leading musician. Li will do some on-the-spot improvisation.

Tickets: 380-580 yuan (US$46-70)

Time/date: 7:30pm, October 22

Location: Dongyuan Theatre, 10 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng District

Tel: 8511-5369, 6406-8888

东苑剧场，东城区南池子大街10号

From Latvia with love

Gidon Kremer is set for a violin recital, accompanied by pianist Andrius Zlabys.

Kremer, born in Latvia, began to learn to play violin at the age of four with his father and grandfather, both distinguished string players. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory at 18.

23-year old Lithuanian pianist Zlaybys has appeared throughout Europe and North America as a soloist and chamber musician.

Programme: Chaconne, from Partita for Violin solo No 2 in D minor by Bach,

and Cesar Franck's Symphony in D minor.

Tickets: 180-680 yuan (US$22-82)

Time/date: 7:30pm, October 23

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6500-1188 ext 5682

Symphonic co-operation

Chinese musicians with China Philharmonic Orchestra will play with violinist Gidon Kremer and pianist Andrius Zlabys. Russian conductor Woldemar Nelsson conducts.

Programme: Keyboard concerto No 1 in D minor by Bach, Violin Concerto No 2 C sharp minor, Op. 129 by Schostakovich, Concerto for Violin in D minor by Mendelssohn.

Tickets: 280-800 yuan (US$34-96)

Time/date: 7:30pm, October 24

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6500-1188 ext 8682

Best of British

Lead by conductor Adrian Sunshine (above), the London Chamber Players troupe is to make its debut in China.

Violinist Vera Tsu Wei-ling will solo.

Programme: Serenade K. 525 (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik), and Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major by Mozart: Serenade in E minor for Strings by Elgar, Symphony No 59 in A major (Feuersymphonie) by Haydn.

Tickets: 680 yuan (US$82)

Time/date: 7:30pm, October 25

Location: Diaoyutai State Guesthouse

Tel: 6406-9999

钓鱼台国宾馆，甘家口外

Mozart's magic

The two-act opera Die Zauberfloete, (Magic Flute) by Mozart, will be performed by China National Opera Theatre. The Orchestra International D'Italia will also perform, conducted by Tyrone Paterson.

Tickets: 280-800 yuan (US$34-96)

Time/date: 7:30pm, October 28, 29

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6500-1188 ext 5682

Galways gather

James and Jeanne Galway, a couple of flautists from the United Kingdom, will stage a concert together with China Philharmonic Orchestra. James Galway will also conduct.

Programme: Flute concerto No 2 in D major by Mozart, Concerto for Two Flutes in G major by Domenico Cimarosa, Symphony No 4 in A Major, Op 90 (Italian) by Mendelssohn.

Tickets: 180-800 yuan (US$22-96)

Time/date: 7:30pm, October 30

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6406-8888, 6500-1188 ext 5682

Opera highlights

An Opera Gala Concert will be staged by the Orchestra of the Fenice of Venezia Theatre, conducted by Paolo Olmi. Soprano Barbara Frittoli and tenor Giuseppe Sabbatini will sing.

Programme: Sombre Foret, for soprano (second act of William Tell) by Rossini, excerpts from Overture to La Forza del Destino and La Traviata by Verdi, Tosca by Puccini, and the prelude from Act III from Manon Lescaut by Puccini.

Tickets: 180-800 yuan (US$22-96)

Time/date: 7:30pm, October 31

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6406-9999, 6500-1188

Roman holiday

The Orchestra of The Fenice of Vernezia Theatre will hold a symphonic concert, conducted by Paolo Olmi.

Programme: Notturno, Op 70 No 1 by Giuseppe Martucci, Roman Festivals, Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi.

Tickets: 180-800 yuan (US$22-96)

Time/date: 7:30pm, November 1

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6500-1188 ext 5682

From Luxemburg

Conducted by Bramwell Tovey (above), the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a concert, with Misha Maisky soloing.

Russian born and educated, Maisky has been well-received around the world.

Programme: Tannhauser Overture by Wagner, Cello Concerto in A minor, Op 129 by Schumann, Symphonie Fantastique, Op 14 by Berlioz.

Tickets: 120-680 yuan(US$14-82)

Time/date: 7:30pm, November 2

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6500-1188 ext 5682

World tour

The Shanghai Quartet is to stage aBeethoven Cycle concert, starting its world tour from Beijing. In the concert, the musicians have invited the Beijing Quartet (above) to play with them.

Programme: Quartet in C Major, Op 59 No 3 by Beethoven, Octet (with Beijing Quartet) by Mendelssohn, as well as Chinese melodies such as Miao Mountain Morning, Shepherd's Song, and Harvest Celebration.

Tickets: 50-280 yuan (US$6-34)

Time/date: 7:30pm, November 4

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6406-8888, 65001188 ext 5682

Closing comments

The closing concert of the Beijing International Music Festival will be performed by the Northern Deutcher Radio (NDR) Symphony Orchestra. Christoph Eschenbach, its chief conductor since 1998, will hold the baton. Pianist Tzimon Barto willsolo.

Programme: Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor, Op 30 by Rachmaninoff, Symphony No 1 in D major, Op 11 by Brahms.

Tickets: 480-1,000 yuan (US$58-120)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, November 5

Location: Poly Theatre, Dongsi Shitiao

Tel: 6406-8888, 6500-1188 ext 5682

保利剧院，东四十条路口

Chilean is hot stuff

Francisco Rettig, perhaps the best-known conductor in South America, will take the baton at a concert featuring musicians from the Beijing Symphony Orchestra.

The performance forms part of the orchestra's 2003-2004 concert season.

Rettig has been chief conductor of the Bogota Philharmonic since 1991. Before that, he was conductor of the Symphonic Orchestra of Chile.

Rettig's first musical training was at the Santiago Conservatory. At 20, he won a conducting competition organized by the BBC. He has worked extensively throughout the world with orchestras in South, Central and Northern America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Programme: Prometheus Overture by Beethoven, Symphony No 35 (Haffner) by Mozart, Fantastic Symphony, Op 14 by Berlioz, including Visions and Passions, Ball, In the Country, The Procession to the Stake and Witches' Round Dance.

Tickets: 30-380 yuan (US$4-46)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, October 19

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall, in Zhangshan Park, to the north of Tian'anmen Square

Tel: 6559-8285

中山音乐堂，中山公园内

Cinema

Cherry indoors

From this weekend, Chinese films with English subtitles will be screened indoors at the Cherry Lane Movies theatre on Anjialou Street to the north of Liangmaqiao Road.

Farewell My Concubine directed by Chen Kaige, an Oscar nominee in 1993, will be shown this weekend. The film stars Gong Li, Zhang Fengyi, Ge You and Leslie Cheung, the celebrated Hong Kong movie and pop star who committed suicide on April 1 this year.

The story begins before the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976), inside a training school for Beijing Opera performers. Two young boys learn opera and begin a lifelong friendship, which is later to haunt them. Actress Gong Li is the woman who comes between them in a film that crams decades of China's history into a beautiful epic.

Tickets: 50 yuan (US$6), 30 yuan (US$3.6) with a student's card

Location: Cherry Lane Movies, Gate 29, Anjialou Street, near the 21st Century Theatre

For more info: www.cherrylanemoviesl.com.cn

樱花巷电影，亮马桥路世纪剧院东北

Mexican film

Cronos

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Produced in 1992.

In Spanish with English and Chinese subtitles.

This was acclaimed Mexican horror master Guillermo del Toro's first incursion into the genre. It's a modern vampire tale which shows us a unique and sophisticated approach to scary movies.

Tickets: Free

Time/date: 7 pm, October 22

Location: in the Embassy of Mexico, 5 Sanlitun Dongwujie

Tel: 6532-2244

墨西哥大使馆文化处，三里屯东五街5号

Other cinemas that show foreign movies in English versions:

Capital Times Cinema

Location: in the basement of the Capital New time Shopping Mall, Xidan Area

Tel: 8391-3540, 8391-3543

首都时代影院，西单首都新时代商城地下一层

Sun Dong An Cinema City

Location: on the fifth floor of Sun Dong An Department Store, 138 Wangfujing Dajie

Tel: 6528-1898, 6528-1838

新东安影城，王府井大街新东安商场5层

UME International Cineplex

Location: 44 Xuanyuan Nanlu, Shuangyushu, Haidian District

Tel: 6255-5566, 6261-2851

华星国际影城/双榆树学院南路

Dahua Cinema

Location: 82 Dongdan Beidajie

Tel: 6527-4420, 6525-0343, 6521-2647

大华影院，东单北大街82号

East Gate Cinema

Location: East Gate Plaza, Dongzhimenwai Dajie, to the north of Poly Plaza

Tel: 6418-5938

东环广场影城，东环广场

Exhibitions

Sheng's show

New works by artist Sheng Qi are on show at the Red Gate Gallery under the title Transcribe.

As a young artist who has studied and worked abroad, Sheng has displayed remarkable creativity in different media. The exhibition features his latest challenging works.

Time/date: 10am - 5pm until November 11

Location: watchtower, Dongbianmen Jiaolou, Chongwenmen

Tel: 6525-1005

东便门角楼，崇文门

Mix and match

Paintings heavily hued with Chinese characteristics by artist Hu Yongkai are being shown at Wanfung Gallery.

Hu attended the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in his early years and taught at the Fine Arts Institute at Shanghai University. He has developed a unique personal style based on the foundation of traditional painting skills. The artist infuses the charisma of centuries old Chinese culture with the forceful expression of Western tradition by mixing lines and colours. Time/date: 10am - 6pm, October 18-30

Location: 136 Nanchizi Dajie

Tel: 6523-3320

南池子大街136号

Troubled times

A joint show displaying works by three professional artists who depict the confusing troubles of social life is on at the Yan Club.

Although artists Zhang Jin, Yang Gang and Bob Yan were born in different eras from the 1940s to 70s, all have something in common to focus on the life of ordinary people. Each has been successful in his own field and has participated in art activities worldwide. Around 10 paintings are exhibited now and will in time be replaced by other works by the artists .

Time/date: 10am - 8pm, daily

Location: 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu

Tel: 8457-3506

酒仙桥路4号仁俱乐部

Sublime strokes

Berlin-based artist Ling Jian is staging his first solo painting exhibition of portraits of "highly evolved human beings" at the Courtyard Gallery.

In this latest series of paintings, Ling continues his artistic exploration of the nature of beauty and its relationship to the sublime. The modern "Buddha" portraits standing akin to the sublime visage of a top Chinese fashion model are implicit of beauty and religion in today's culture.

Time/date: 10am - 6pm until October 31

Location: 95 Donghuamen Dajie

Tel: 6526-8882

东华门大街95号

Returned treasures

A total of 16 precious cultural relics labelled as national treasures are on show in the lobby of Beijing Hotel. They were illegally taken abroad 80 years ago.

The exhibits are stone sculptures stolen from various historical sites and smuggled abroad in the past. Two Buddha head sculptures are the most precious. They have been proved to be original pieces hewed off two stone sculptures in the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan Province.

Time/date: daily until December 31

Location: 33 Dongchang'an Jie

Tel: 6513-7766

北京饭店

From the heart

Emotional art paintings by academically trained artist Sun Huili will go on show at the New Millennium Gallery.

Sun is dedicated to an emotion-expression style from the perspective of a woman whose leading characteristic is the use of colours. Various colours in different shades are widely applied in her works to produce a kind of indistinct verve which warms people's hearts about youth and life.

Time/date: 9am - 6pm, October 11-November 5

Location: Diyang Building, 2 Dongsanhuan Beilu

Tel: 8453-6193

迪阳大厦，东三环北路

Back to their roots

China's 8th Tree Root Sculpture exhibition will start in the exhibition hall of the Traditional Chinese Painting Research Institute on October 22.

Art works carved out of seemingly useless tree roots by artists across China will be showcased.

Time/date: 9am - 4pm, October 22-26

Location: 54 Xisanhuan Beilu

Tel: 6841-1369

西三环北路54号

Modern oils

New oil paintings by three artists will be showcased at Qin Gallery on October 23.

One of the participating artists, Xiao Hong,bases his work on ancient Chinese fresco figures and stories to depict a mysterious Chinese culture through modern techniques and colours. Pang Yongjie distinguishes himself with his re-interpretation of traditional figure portraits using large dollops of colour and stylish techniques. Ma Dongming displays his latest landscape paintings which combine the human ambience of traditional Chinese wash painting and the bright colours and free strokes of Western oil painting.

Time/date: 9:30am - 7pm, October 23 - November 11

Location: 1-1E Huaweili, north Beijing Curio City

Tel: 8779-0461

华威里1-1E，北京古玩城北