Debra Li

    debra_lidan@163.com

    SHENZHEN Poly Theater is ushering in its sixth summer season targeting young audiences. During July and August, the theater will stage 12 programs of varied genres including a magic show, a clown carnival, children’s plays and concerts.

    “This is the sixth straight year that we have stuck to this high-quality, low-price summer program,” Poly Theater general manager Zeng Ruoming said Friday. “With no government subsidies, we insist on providing this quasi-public benefit program, selling tickets at 20 yuan (US$3.20) to 100 yuan per seat.”

    The manager said the theater hopes to “foster in children a lifelong passion for art, and give them happy moments and great memories during the summer vacation.”

    To realize an educational purpose, this year’s program for the first time will introduce a concert by the Sassmannshaus Trio along with a violin master class. The show will feature violinist Kurt Sassmannshaus, cellist Christopher Sassmannshaus and pianist Haeri Suh. People who buy tickets to the show can also book a seat in the master class.

    Violinist, teacher and conductor Kurt Sassmannshaus is considered one of today’s preeminent violin pedagogues. Chairman of the string department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music since 1984, he was recently appointed to the school’s Dorothy Richard Starling Chair for Classical Violin, a position previously held by the late Dorothy Delay. He has given violin master classes around the world.

    “This year we are trying to strike a balance between entertainment and education in the programs,” Zeng said.

    Lin Haoli, a native of the Guangdong Province city of Shantou who’s currently studying at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, gave a brief but impressive performance of the violin solo “Carmen Fantasy” for media Friday. Lin won first place this year at the Andrews University Music International Competition in Michigan, the United States. The 23-year-old graduate of Shenzhen Arts School said he was inspired by Professor Kurt Sassmannshaus during a previous master class.

    Sassmannshaus also provides free online courses at www.violinmasterclass.com and runs a summer camp, Great Wall International Music Academy, in Beijing.

    Top Chinese percussionist Li Biao also will run a one-day summer camp for local children alongside his concert at Poly Theater. A 300-yuan admission fee is charged for the camp, which will accept three classes of a total of 50 students.

    A Poly children’s talent show is open for registration until July 12 and will feature children aged 6-12 in the categories of family group show, musical instrument and acting and stage performing. Winners of the talent show can get free admission to the percussion summer camp.

    “In neighboring Hong Kong, the board of education requires every student to attend a number of concerts or other art performances as extracurricular activities before they can graduate. This is aimed at fostering a love of the arts in children and cultivating the future market for art performances,” said Leng Bingbing, vice president of Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles. “The farsighted efforts of Shenzhen Poly Theater are worth lauding.”

    Schedule

    8 p.m., July 10

    Close-up magic show: An Unspoken Secret

    Performed by: Miguel Puga, Shoot Ogawa and others

    8 p.m., July 21

    A concert by the Shi Shucheng family

    Performed by: Shi Shucheng, Fu Haiyan, Shi Wei, Shi Rong

    8 p.m., July 26

    Puppet show: The Gourd Boys

    Performed by: Henan Performance Group

    8 p.m., July 29, 30

    Musical: The Little Mermaid

    Performed by: A children’s theater group from the United States

    8 p.m., Aug. 1

    Children’s comedy show

    Performed by: Hunan Shadow Puppet Art Theater

    3 p.m., 8 p.m., Aug. 3

    Scifi children’s play: Transformers 3000

    Performed by: Oriental Charm Cultural Co.

    8 p.m., Aug. 6

    International Clown Carnival

    Performed by: Clowns from around the world

    8 p.m., Aug. 7

    Sassmannshaus Trio concert

    Performed by: Kurt Sassmannshaus, Christopher Sassmannshaus, Haeri Suh

    8 p.m., Aug. 9

    Children’s play: Ting Ting’s Adventures

    Performed by: Wuhan People’s Art Theater

    8 p.m., Aug. 15

    A percussion concert

    Performed by: Li Biao’s Percussion Ensemble

    8 p.m., Aug. 18

    Children’s play: New Little Riding Hood

    Performed by: Dalian Qisehua Art Theater

    Tel: 8637-1698/99

    Add: Houhaibin Road, Nanshan District

    Metro: Shekou Line, Houhai Station (后海站), Exit E1

    (All the shows will be staged at Shenzhen Poly Theater, priced between 20-100 yuan per seat.)