Music and Theatre: Spring 2015 Preview
Many of us will be somewhere else in the world next semester. For me, it’s going to be New York. Immediately after I was accepted to study abroad in the performing arts paradise of the world, I started purchasing tickets for shows in the Fall (I’m not kidding!). Indeed, compared to the many other major metropolises of the world, Shanghai might not boast a huge cultural scene, and it’s sometimes difficult to pull out a good list of shows worth seeing.
But still, as I’ve said before, within these limited choices, there’s a growing vibrant culture scene within Shanghai. While most Broadway-goers probably are not well-versed in German musicals, Elisabeth played 40 shows this winter at the Shanghai Culture Square. The first Baroque Music Festival last December was a huge success and is very likely to expand this year. Theaters and music groups from everywhere around the world have sensed the potential of performance industry in Shanghai, hence the growing variety of shows.
And, the best thing about Shanghai is the affordability of the tickets! It’s safe to say, in Shanghai more young people can go to classical music concerts or traditional operas than anywhere else in the world. For a mere 580 RMB one can sit in the best seats at one of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's regular concerts, conducted by Yu Long, Zubin Mehta or Charles Dutoit.
Here is a short preview of this semester in music and theatre:
Classical Music and Crossover
Gustavo Dudamel & the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Date: 3/22 & 3/23
Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center(SHOAC)
Programs: Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, John Adams’s City Noir, and Dvorak’s Symphony No.6 “From the New World”
Preisner & Lisa Gerrard Performs Diaries of Hope
Date: 3/27
Venue: SSH
FYI: Preisner scored for Kieslowski, Lisa Gerrard is from the band Dead Can Dance
Piano Recital by Stephen Kovacevich
Date: 4/3
Venue: SHOAC
Tan Dun, Martin Grubinger and SSO: The Tears of Nature
Date: 4/4
Venue: Shanghai Symphony Hall(SSH)
Tan Dun conducts his own work and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring!
Juilliard Quartet
Date: 4/ 5
Venue: SHOAC
Kent Nagano & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Date: 4/10
Venue: SSH
Programs: World Premiere of a piece from Anders Hillborg, Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor, and Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 1 in C minor.
Maestro Nagano is perhaps the hottest conductor alive.
Krzysztof Penderecki with SSO
Date: 4/25
Venue: SSH
Programs: Penderecki’s Concerto Grosso No.1, Shoastakovick’s Symphony No. 15
Zubin Mehta with SSO
Date: 6/10 and 6/14
Venue: SSH
Programs include: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Mahler’s Symphony No.1 “Titan”
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Theatre
Drama: Ulysses(Scottish Production)
Date: 3/31-4/1
Venue: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre
Drama: Lu Xun Blossoms 鲁镇往事(Chinese Production)
Date: 4/30-5/17
Venue: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre
Musical: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying（一步登天）(Chinese Production)
Date: 4/17-5/17
Venue:人民大舞台
Musical: Ghost(Asia Tour)
Date: 5/28-6/14
Venue: Shanghai Culture Square
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Pop and Indie Festivals
For more Chinese indie and underground information, check out this article I wrote. A little bit disappointed that not many new sounds emerged since then.
JUE Music+Art Festival
Strawberry Music Festival
MIDI Festival
This article was written by Lu Pang. Send an email to managing@oncenturyavenue.com to get in touch. Photo Credit: Shanghai Culture Square, Musical- Elisabeth Deniere,