Best bets

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France

Date: May 27－7:30 m

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 180- 1,000 yuan

Founded in the 1930s by French Radio, l'Orchestre Philharmonique was re-established in 1976 at the instigation of Pierre Boulez who strongly advocated more flexibility within the setup of the traditional symphony orchestra, resulting in an ensemble able to cover all manner of repertoire from the 18th century to the present, be it for smaller chamber forces or large orchestra; such formation depending on the composition of the performed works, but nonetheless each working simultaneously in tandem with the other.

The National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater Swan Lake

Date: May 30-31－7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 160-880 yuan

The history of the theater began in the 1920s on the stage of the first State Drama Theatre which was comprised of the opera and ballet companies, chorus, and quite a small symphony orchestra. Various musicals and drama performances, fragments from operas and ballets were staged and folk music was played there. At that time future stars of Belarusian opera and ballet studied at music colleges in Minsk, Vitebsk, and Gomel, including the State Opera and Ballet Studio which was opened in 1930 and headed by Anton Bonachich, an outstanding Russian singer who appeared with Feodor Chaliapin at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. For three years a galaxy of professional artists were trained at the studio, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's The Golden Cockerel (1931) and Georges Bizet's Carmen (1932) were staged.

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

Date: June 9-10－7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 80-580 yuan

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1918. From 1930, under principal conductor Eduard Flipse, it developed into one of the foremost orchestras of the Netherlands. In the 1970s, with Jean Fournet and Edo de Waart, the orchestra gained international recognition. Valery Gergiev's appointment heralded a new period of bloom, which continued from 2008 with Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He will be principal conductor until the 2017-2018 season, after which he will remain with the orchestra as honorary conductor. Lahav Shani will be principal conductor from 2018-2019.