Best bets
Merry Fairies: Chang Jing's New Classical Guzheng Recital
Date: Feb 20-7:30 pm
Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts
Price: 160-280 yuan
Chang Jing is not only one of "Four Ancient Guzheng Beauties", but also the first player of "singing& ancient zither". She is now ancient zither player of China Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble, independent musician, permanent royal ancient zither teacher for Thai Princess, chief performer of the movie The Love of Hawthorn Tree directed by Zhang Yimou and ancient zither soloist of Moonlit Night on Spring River on the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. Chang Jing focuses on ancient zither music and research for the Tang and Song poetry, and publishes many solo records.
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Date: March 4-7:30 pm
Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts
Price: 80-480 yuan
The OAE changed the classical music world too. It challenged those distinguished partner organizations and brought the very best from them. Remarkable people are behind it. Simon Rattle, the young conductor in whom the OAE placed so much of its initial trust, still cleaves to the ensemble. Iv��n Fischer who punted some of his most individual musical ideas on the young orchestra, continues to challenge it. Mark Elder still mines for luminosity, shade and line. Vladimir Jurowski, the podium technician with an insatiable appetite for creative renewal, has drawn from it some of the most revelatory noises of recent years.
NCPA Drama The Lei Family, the Royal Architects
Date: March 4-8-7:30 pm Price: 100-500 yuan
It is a mysterious family that in charge of royalty construction projects, building innumerable glories and resplendence for 260 years. It is a group of brilliant crafts who changed Beijing into the Beijing City through generations of hard-working and wisdom. It is a legendary family of architects, whose name is Yangshi Lei, an architects' family who got praise for great palaces, temples and mansions designed and constructed by them with millions of workers, like the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace.
Royal Shakespeare Company Henry V
Date: Feb 20-21-7:30 pm/2:30 pm
Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts
Price: 180-680 yuan
The Royal Shakespeare Company will present Henry V by William Shakespeare. Everyone at the RSC-from actors to armourers, musicians to technicians-plays a part in creating the world seen on stage. All its productions begin life at the Stratford workshops and theatres and are brought to the widest possible audience through touring, residencies, live broadcasts and online activity.
Hagen Quartet
Date: Feb 25-7:30 pm
Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts
Price: 50-380 yuan
The upcoming season of the
Hagen Quartet, recognized as undoubtedly the world's most famous quartet, (Neue Z��rcher Zeitung) comes on the heels of a highly successful and internationally celebrated 30th season devoted to the complete Beethoven string quartets. The Hagen Quartet starts their extensive touring in the 14/15 season with a Mozart cycle, featuring Mozart's ten major string quartets in the most important musical centers throughout Europe and Asia. The Hagen Quartet was recognized with the prestigious ECHO Klassik award as Ensemble of the Year 2011. In 2012, the quartet was named Honorary Member of Vienna's Konzerthaus.
NCPA Production of Bizet's Opera Carmen
Date: Feb 26-March 2-7:30 pm
Venue: National Theater for the Performing Arts
Price: 100-880 yuan
Originated from the novel by Prosper Merimee, the opera Carmen was completed in the autumn of 1874. It was the last work of Georges Bizet, and also is the most popular opera on the stage in the world until now. Bizet, through his music, told us a tragic story behind brightness, and depicted the optimistic, straightforward but wild personality of a Gipsy girl, Carmen. The opera discloses the bald-faced passions, describes the eternal confrontation between men and women, shows the ruthless but beautiful life, and proves the perpetual co-existence between love and death.
