7 Spectacular Stage Shows to Catch in Beijing

Sir Stephen Hough Piano Recital

One of the most distinctive artists of his generation, Sir Stephen Hough not only has a distinguished career as a pianist, but he is also a composer and writer. Hough was the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honors 2014 and he was awarded a Knighthood for Services to Music in the Queen’s Birthday Honors 2022.

He is a regular guest at festivals such as Salzburg, La Roque- d’Anthéron, Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, and BBC Proms, where he has made more than 20 concerto appearances.

Nov 11, 7.30

RMB180/280/380/480/580

Concert Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts, No.2 West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng

Daniel Hope and the Gstaad Festival Orchestra

The violinist Daniel Hope will be leading the Gstaad Festival Orchestra for a special performance. Hope is celebrated worldwide for his musical creativity and his commitment to humanitarian causes. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2007, Hope travels the globe as both chamber musician and soloist, collaborating with leading orchestras and conductors.

He has been the Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra since 2016, in 2018 he took up the same position with San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra. In 2019, he also became Artistic Director of the Frauenkirche Dresden, and he has been President of the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn since 2020.

The Gstaad Festival Orchestra is made up of the best musicians from Switzerland’s leading orchestras. These high-class musicians form a sort of musical ‘national team’. Its members are musicians from the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Zurich Opera Orchestra, the Kammerorchester Basel, the Basel Symphony Orchestra and the Bern Symphony Orchestra.

Nov 16, 7.30pm

RMB180/280/380/480/580

Concert Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts, No.2 West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng

Kahchun Wong and the Hallé Orchestra

Internationally acclaimed for his electrifying stage presence and his thoughtful exploration of Eastern and Western artistic legacies, Singaporean-born Kahchun Wong is the Chief Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Principal Guest Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra.

Innovation has been central to the Hallé Orchestra since its foundation in 1858 by Sir Charles Hallé. This diverse ensemble is one of the world’s leading symphony orchestras.

Nov 23, 7.30pm

RMB240/320/460/520/600/800

Concert Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts, No.2 West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng

Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic

German conductor Christian Thielemann is the general music director at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin. He is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in London, honorary professor at Hochschule für Musik “Carl Maria von Weber” Dresden and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Hochschule für Musik “Franz Liszt” Weimar and KU Leuven in Belgium. In 2003, he was awarded Germany’s Order of Merit, in 2015 he received the Richard-Wagner Prize of the Richard-Wagner-Stiftung Leipzig, and in 2016 he won the Semperoper Foundation Prize. 

There is perhaps no other musical ensemble more closely associated with the history and tradition of European classical music than the Vienna Philharmonic. Over the course of more than 180 years, this orchestra has experienced and influenced the course of musical history around the world. Even to this day, prominent soloists and conductors refer to the unique “Viennese Sound” as the outstanding quality that sets it apart from other orchestras.

Nov 25 & 26, 7.30pm

RMB380,680,980,1380,1880,2280, 2680

Concert Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts, No.2 West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng

Railway Guerillas

The dance drama Railway Guerrillas is a classic dance drama created and staged by the General Political Department Song and Dance Troupe in 2010 based on the novel of the same name. It tells the story of the family, country, and comradeship of the revolutionary heroes in the red era. It has been widely praised for its moving music and dramatic dance style.

Nov 26 – 28 & 30, 7pm; Nov 29, 7.30pm

RMB180/280/380/460/520/580/680

Opera House, National Centre for the Performing Arts, No.2 West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng

Nine Songs

The dance poetry drama Nine Songs uses Qu Yuan’s classic poem of the same name as the creative blueprint, and expresses the artistic conception of classical poetry through Chinese dance and stage art. The performance tries to embody the unity of man and nature, as well as the cycle of life, observing the ups and downs of human emotions.

The stage design uses minimalist circular structures and stones of different sizes to create an ethereal and interpretable space. The show gives dancers extremely high technical challenges in a lyrical space.

Nov 7-9, 7pm

RMB100/180/280/380/460/580/680/880

Opera House, National Centre for the Performing Arts, No.2 West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng

Inner Mongolia Arts University Concert

Guided by the ‘Mongolian Horse Spirit’ and the ‘Ulan Muqi Spirit,’ this concert brings together outstanding teacher and student representatives from the Inner Mongolia Arts University and the Anda Group, which is well-known at home and abroad, and integrates traditional music forms such as long tune, humai, matouqin, and Chaoer Tao.

It focuses on displaying the college’s fruitful achievements in national art education, living inheritance of intangible cultural heritage and stage innovation, presenting a diverse and emotional cultural picture of Northern Xinjiang. The concert covers a variety of art forms such as Chaoer-Taoist chorus, morinouqur concerto, folk song chorus, intangible cultural heritage music and dance, and ethnic chamber music.

Nov 4, 7.30pm

RMB80/120/160/200

Concert Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts, No.2 West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng

[Cover image via Theater Beijing]