Best bets

[Photo provided to China Daily]

The Mariinsky Ballet The Sleeping Beauty

Date: Nov 21-23－7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 280-1,280 yuan

The history of the Mariinsky Ballet is closely linked with the history of European choreographic art. An important role in the establishment and evolution of Russian ballet was played by foreign dance masters. The history of St Petersburg ballet in the 19th century was associated with the activities of Charles Didelot, Jules Perrot, and Arthur Saint-Leon. In 1869, the position of principal ballet master was entrusted to Marius Petipa who markedly raised the professional standards of the company. He developed the form of grand ballet－a multi-act production, the plot combining fully developed scenes of classical ensembles, colorful character dances, genre spectacle scenes and pantomime. Even today the ballets The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake (together with choreographer Lev Ivanov) and Raymonda created with the symphonist composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Alexander Glazunov form part of the "gold reserves" of the classical legacy and adorn the theater's repertoire.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Date: Nov 16-18－7:30 pm

Venue: Beijing Comedy Theater

Price: 60-380 yuan

Founded on Jan 23, 1995, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre focuses on expanding cultural exchanges with other countries and learning experience in creating outstanding dramas around the world. It has participated in such international art festivals as "Moscow Chekhov International Drama Festival", "Singapore International Drama Festival", "the Ninth Seoul Performing Arts Festival", "British International Shakespeare Festival" and "Sibiu International Drama Festival". With the continuous introduction of foreign original plays and production of excellent contemporary drama works, it has cultivated a solid drama performance market in Shanghai, which further magnetizes nationwide and worldwide drama groups to perform here.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Date: Nov 11－7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 50-380 yuan

Stephen Kovacevich is one of the most searching interpreters, never afraid to take both technical and musical risks in order to achieve maximum expressive impact. Born in Los Angeles, Stephen Kovacevich laid the foundation for his career as concert pianist at the age of 11. After moving to England to study with Dame Myra Hess, Stephen made his European debut at Wigmore Hall in 1961. Since then he has appeared with many of the world's finest orchestras and conductors including Hans Graf, Bernard Haitink, Kurt Masur, Simon Rattle and Georg Solti.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Date: Nov 15－7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 180-1,000 yuan

Since his sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in a performance of La Traviata in 2006, Jonas Kaufmann has numbered among the top stars on the operatic horizon. The international press has singled him out as the "new king of tenors". Insiders praise him as the most important German tenor since Fritz Wunderlich. Jonas Kaufmann comes from Munich. He completed his vocal studies there at the local Music Academy, in addition to which he attended master classes with Hans Hotter, James King and Josef Metternich. During his first years on stage at the State Theater in Saarbrücken, he continued his training with Michael Rhodes in Trier.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Date: Nov 17-18－7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 100-580 yuan

China Liaoning Ballet (LNB), established in 1980, has been dedicated to producing ballet art pieces of Chinese characteristics while persistently introduces, rehearses and performs world ballet classics. It has scored remarkable achievements in exploring and building the Chinese school of ballet art. Since 1980, LNB has rehearsed and performed world famous ballet pieces including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, the Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Giselle, La Fille Mal Gardee, etc. LNB has also created and performed dance dramas of Chinese styles, such as the Butterfly Lovers, Song of Mongolia, the Peacock Gall, Moonlight over the Erquan Pond, modern ballet The Last Emperor in addition to special evening performances for neoclassic ballet pieces like Song of the four Seasons and World of Classics.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

American instrumentalist Alexandro Querevalu China Tour

Date: Dec 19-20－7:30 pm

Venue: The Cultural Palace of Nationalities

Price: 100-560 yuan

After his successful debut tour in China in 2016, American instrumentalist Alexandro Querevalu will tour China again between Dec 10 to Jan 20, visiting Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Tiaanjin and Hangzhou. Born in Lima, Peru, the musician plays a wide variety of wind instruments, such as the quena and zampona. He has a large repertoire, including The Last of the Mohicans and El Condor Pasa.