Season of shows in Beijing

Maestro Zubin Mehta, an old friend of China, will also treat classical music lovers in Beijing to a night of programs including Mozart's Symphony No 36 in C major, Weber's Clarinet Concertino in E flat major and Mahler's Symphony No 5, accompanied by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. It has been more than 50 years since Zubin Mehta first collaborated with the orchestra, which first performed in China in 1994. This will be the orchestra's first show at the National Center for the Performing Arts.

Offering a contrast to classical music, a show featuring violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-ki Joo on Nov 16 at the Forbidden City Concert Hall promises a relaxing night. The duo believe "classical music should be fun". The two, who met while studying at the Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK, employ every approach at their concerts to elicit a laugh from audiences, including combining pop music elements with classical music and playing their instruments like comic actors.

The live music scene in Beijing is also hot during this season. South Korean rock singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young, 25, will hold his first concert in Beijing at the MasterCard Center on Nov 14. Born in Indonesia with a father who is an international businessman, Jung traveled extensively with his family and grew up in China, Japan and Europe. His early life experiences allowed him to absorb music from different cultures.

Swiss rock band Groombridge and Beijing-based rock band, New Pants, will share the stage at Beijing's live house venue, Tango Club, on Nov 15.