Beijing

Dutch metal debut

The Dutch symphonic metal band Epica will present its debut concert in Beijing this week. Founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen 10 years ago, it's known for its symphonic sound and female vocalist Simone Simons, who is good at fusing her soprano voice into metal beats. With five albums released, the band just celebrated its 10-year anniversary.

8 pm. April 11. Yugong Yishan, 3-2 Zhangzizhong Road (100m west of Zhangzizhonglu subway station), Dongcheng district. 010-6404-2711

R&B, jazz and rock

Taiwan pop star Yoga Lin will conclude his Fugue world tour, which he kicked off in 2012, in Beijing. The 25-year-old will sing hits from all five of his best-selling albums in his five-year career, displaying his versatility in handling different music genres, including R&B, jazz and rock. Besides his heartbreaking love song Lie, fans can enjoy Lin's latest album - the jazz-inspired live performance Jazz Channel.

7:30 pm. April 12. Beijing Workers' Gymnasium. Gongti North Road, Chaoyang district. 400-810-8080

Baroque voyage of sound

Acclaimed French harpist and lute player Christina Pluhar and her baroque music ensemble L'Arpeggiata will stage a "musical cruise" to the Mediterranean and the baroque music world. The ensemble's approach is based on the music from the 17th century, blending all of the tonal colors of plucked instruments from the baroque period.

7:30 pm, April 13. Forbidden City Concert Hall, West Chang'an Avenue. 010-6559-8285

Shanghai

Love story with laughs

The play 21 Carat tells an urban love story between a struggling young white-collar worker and a materialistic woman. The third piece of a trilogy jointly created by Ning Caishen as playwright and He Nian as the director, it's a comedy, with lots of interaction with the audience, mixed with real-life news events.

7:30 pm, until April 14. Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 288 Anfu Road. 021-6473-0123

Manga with a twist

Spanish artist Mariasun Salgado's exhibition showcases a graphic art that hybridizes manga codes with linear drawing and vintage photography. The exhibition presents a series of digital collages and compositions in which she subtly alters the traditional codes of representation.

9 am-5 pm, April 6-21. Duolun Museum of Modern Art, 27 Duolun Road. 021-5609-5728

Hong Kong

God talk

Religion has occupied a central place in the development of every civilization, with both peaceful and violent consequences. Intelligence Squared presents a live debate to argue the motion of Religion Is Good for Us, addressing concepts such as whether it provides common values for societies and whether it fosters morality in the same way for developed and developing nations. Jeremy O'Grady moderates a panel that includes Selina O'Grady, Carolos Celdran and Suhel Seth.

6:30 pm, April 11. Theater 1, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, 1 Expo Drive, Wanchai. 852-3128-8288

Bay watch

The Hong Kong/San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival returns to the city for this year with 30 movies about the sea. Topics such as marine life, adventure, exploration, culture and shark issues, with the closing film to screen at Ocean Park's amphitheater alongside a festive outdoor party. The festival includes the debut of local actress and producer Crystal Kwok's animated short A Shark's Fin, and there will be an ocean-themed art exhibition along Blake Pier and Stanley Promenade from April 9 through 23.

April 10-17. Various venues. For schedule and tickets, visit www.oceanrecov.org

Time to swing

The fifth edition of Hong Kong Fringe Club's Swing for All series puts drums and percussions in the spotlight. The jazz concert dubbed We've Got Rhythm: Let's Swing and Drum is led by conductor Taka Hirohama and boasts the talents of Japan based Yoshinobu Inagaki and Hong Kong-based Kumi Masunaga, both on drums. They are joined by the luminescent vocals of Elaine Liu accompanied by the Saturday Night Jazz Orchestra for two evenings of swinging entertainment.

8 pm, Apr 12 and 13. Theater, Hong Kong City Hall, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central. 852-2521-7251/2504-8311

China Daily

(China Daily 04/07/2013 page15)