Art beat in May

Horns of plenty

Brass lovers in Guangzhou should get a reservation for a feast of music on May 17 served up by German Brass, an ensemble founded in 1974 that's skillful at cooking "dishes" of authentic Baroque flavor. The 10-member group comes from a country whose composers dominated the classical and Romantic periods and where brass is quite popular. But at the upcoming concert, besides Baroque works by Bach and Wagner's opera classics from the Romantic period, German Brass will showcase the instruments' diverse expressions by also performing jazz, folk music from Russia and South America, and film soundtracks.

8 pm, May 17. Symphony Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Road, Ersha Island, Yuexiu district. 400-108-8808.

Rare chance to hear organ played

An organ cannot be moved once it is installed, making touring difficult. But an organist from the United States is set to perform for audiences in Shanghai in the only theater in the city with such an instrument. Joseph Butler (right), head of the organ department at Texas Christian University, will join two colleagues from the university to play at Shanghai Oriental Art Center on Saturday. The concert will be broadcast live on radio. It's a rare opportunity for audiences in Shanghai to hear the pipe organ, known as "king of the instruments". Two Chinese pieces, adapted from folk songs The Newspaper Boy and Song of the Grassland, will be presented with new arrangements.

10 am, May 17. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu (Road), Pudong New Area, Shanghai. 021-6854-1234.

- Zhang Kun