What's on in Beijing (April 1-8)

Discover the best things to do in Beijing with our weekly roundup of art and exhibitions, music and performances, and trending activities around town. For recommendations, please contact li-ping@chinadaily.com.cn.

[Photo/National Center for the Performing Arts]

Music:

Beethoven powers Vienna orchestra across China

As Vienna's cultural ambassador and concert orchestra, the Wiener Symphoniker (Vienna Symphony) handles the lion's share of symphonic activity that makes up the musical life of the Austrian capital.

The 117-year-old orchestra was the first concert orchestra in Vienna. Together with the renowned Vienna Philharmonic, which is more famous for its opera productions, the symphony is known for the traditional "Vienna sound".

The program for their upcoming show in Beijing will mainly include symphonies by Beethoven (1770-1827) as this year marks the 190th anniversary of the death of the most important composer.

Learn more here.

Time: 7:30 pm, April 6-7

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district.

Ticket: 180-1,000 yuan ($30 - $150)

Contact: 010 - 6655 0000

Four of Niamh Cunningham's paintings focusing on Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region (top row) and the Fenghuang ancient town in Central China's Hunan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Art:

New show on life and nature

The Infinite Entities: Life and Nature exhibition is a collaborative exhibition between Chinese artist Geng Xin and Irish artist Niamh Cunningham, focusing on reflections of life and nature.

Geng follows Western-style painting traditions in his oil paintings, portraying landscapes in Russia, while Cunningham shows her skills in Chinese watercolors and traditional Chinese rice paper, creating artworks ranging from flowers to cellular landscapes – using her medical background.

Learn more here.

Time: 10 am - 5 pm, until April 9 (closed Mondays)

Venue: Dongyue Art Museum, 99 Chaoyang Outer Street, Chaoyang district.

Contact: 010 – 6551 4148

The Singer by Iwan Lubennikow [Photo provided to China Daily]

Ludwigs' treasures in Beijing

The National Art Museum of China is displaying selected pieces donated in 1996 by German art collector Irene Ludwig and her late husband Peter Ludwig.

The exhibition, titled Eternal Warmth, also coincides with the 45th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic ties.

Learn more here.

Time: 9 am -5 pm, through Sunday

Venue: National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing

Contact: 010 - 6400 1476

Poster for French movie Le Passe. [Photo/China National Film Museum]

Movie:

French film panorama

The China National Film Museum started a French movie panorama last weekend, screening five French movies, including Marguerite (2015), Le Passe (2013), Timbuktu (2014), Irreplaceable (2016) and Wild Life (2014).

Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm, 2 – 4:30 pm, every Saturday and Sunday, through April 16

Venue: China National Film Museum, 9 Nanying Road, Chaoyang district.

Ticket: 40 yuan

Contact: 010 – 5165 4567

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Stage:

Selected Peking Opera arias of Mei School by Wei Haimin

Wei Haimin is a famous Peking Opera actress playing female lead roles. Since childhood, she has trained in Taiwan. In 1991, she came to Beijing and became the first disciple of Mei Baojiu - an inheritor of the Mei School of Peking Opera. This officially kicked off Mei School inheritance in the contemporary era.

In April 2016, Mei Baojiu passed away, so Wei decided to stage a concert with the theme of Beside the Plum: Nine Odes to commemorate her teacher.

Mei Baojiu used to serve as president of the Mei Lanfang Peking Opera Troupe.

Time: 7:30 pm, April 7-8

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district.

Ticket: 120-580 yuan

Contact: 010 - 6655 0000

Soprano Dilber Yunus plays the lead role in Visitors on the Snow Mountains. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Homegrown soprano tours China

Hailed as the "nightingale" from China, 59-year-old soprano Dilber Yunus has launched a five-city tour in China. In the upcoming show in Beijing, she will perform 18 songs in seven languages, including Care Selve from Atalanta by George Frideric Handel and How Fair This Spot by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Seven famous Chinese songs will also be featured such as Kashgar Girl and My Beautiful Homeland.

Learn more here.

Time: 7:30 pm, April 8

Venue: Forbidden City Concert Hall, inside Zhongshan Park, West of Tian'anmen Square, Xicheng district.

Contact: 010 - 6559 8285