Art beat in September

Godfather of Taiwan Mandopop

Jonathan Lee, who is hailed as a godfather of Taiwan Mandopop, will stage a concert on Sept 13. The 56-year-old musician has composed and produced hits including Dream to Awakening, The Price of Love and I Am a Little Bird. Lee's singles move listeners with philosophical lyrics, storytelling crooning and the simple accompaniment of a guitar and the piano.

8 pm, Sept 13. Guangzhou Gymnasium, 783 Baiyun Dadao Nan (south Baiyun Avenue), Baiyun district, Guangzhou. 400-610-3721.

Scenery from around the world

Artist Niamh Cunningham is holding a show titled An Eastward Calling. It features scenes from around the world including roofscapes in Prague, a saltwater creek in Dubai, the rolling hills of Yunnan and canals and bus stops of Beijing. The exhibition will also include textile works.

10 am-5 pm, daily except for Mondays, until Sept 14. Dong Yue Art Museum, next to Dong Yue Temple (Beijing Folk Museum), 10 minutes walk from Dongdaqiao subway, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 153-2133-2379.

Oxford choir in concert

The Choir of Queen's College, Oxford University, will give a concert next month in Shanghai. Queen's College is recognized for its music legacy, and the choir has toured extensively with a repertoire of Renaissance and Baroque music, as well as contemporary works. Their performance is regularly broadcast by the BBC. A few Chinese folk ballads will be added to the program in the China tour.

7:30 pm, Sept 15. Shanghai Concert Hall, 523 Yan'an Road East, Huangpu district, Shanghai. 4008-918-182.

Gustavo Dudamel

The Venezuelan conductor will work with Group Wiener Philharmoniker, to present a concert at the Shanghai Symphony’s new concert hall. The program includes Swan of Tuonela and Symphony No. 2 in D major by Jean Sibelius and Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart. The 33-year-old conductor is also a violinist and has been active in the world music scene since 2006, winning many prestigious awards.

7 pm, Sept 18, Shanghai Symphony Hall – Concert Hall, 1380 Fuxing Road Middle, Xuhui district, 4008-210-522

Shanghai Quartet

The chamber music foursome will play the complete collection of Beethoven’s string quartets. The quartet has been active for more than 30 years, since its founding at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The four members are fi rst violinist Weigang Li, second violinist Yi-Wen Jiang, violist Honggang Li, and cellist Nicholas Tzavaras.

7:45 pm, Sept 19, Shanghai Symphony Hall-Chamber Hall, 1380 Fuxing Road Middle, Xuhui district, 4008-210-522 80-130 yuan

Retrospective for veteran painter

Ren Mengzhang, 80, is celebrating six decades of oil painting and art education with a grand retrospective at the National Museum of China. The exhibition displays 80 paintings and sketches that chronicle his exploration on the canvas at different stages of his career. It looks back at his production of "red classic" history-themed works, including the signature Pingxingguan Victory. It presents the works created during his studies at a training class taught by then-Soviet artist Konstantin Maksimov in the 1950s. It also shows his productivity over the past decade during which he painted many landscapes.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Monday, until Sept 20. National Museum of China, east to the Tian'anmen Square, 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.

Chinese flamenco

China's popular guitarist-singer Kerman and his band will hold a concert in Beijing titled Legend of Loulan. A Uygur musician from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Kerman has released a number of CDs and performed at music festivals both at home and abroad. He is known for blending local musical elements with flamenco techniques.

7 pm, Sept 21. Peking University Hall, inside Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Lu (Road), Haidian district, Beijing. 010-6276-8588.

Men who dance

Tap Dogs, a dance show from Australia, is making its debut tour in China. Choreographer Dein Perry learned how to tap dance as a young boy and worked as an industrial machinist before landing a part in the stage musical, 42nd Street. Perry then set out to create a contemporary dance show based on his work experiences, together with his tap dancing friends in Newcastle, a tough, industrial town in Australia. Tap Dogs has combined the strength and power of working men with the precision and talent of tap dancing.

2 pm, 8 pm, Sept 2-21 Shanghai QSW Culture Center – Grand Theater, 179 Yichang Road, Putuo district, 021- 6266-3191, 150-880 yuan