Concerts

UK National Symphony Orchestra

Under the baton of Paul Bateman, principal conductor of the U.K.’s National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), the orchestra will perform a new year’s concert that features traditional Vienna dance tunes, opera arias, and Dvořák’s fan-favorite “Symphony No. 9, Op. 95,” also known as “From the New World.” Soprano Annette Wardell will be the featured soloist.

Founded in 1940, the orchestra has an impressive history of recordings and a busy diary of live concert performances. Fans admire the ensemble for its versatility and passion.

Expect to hear Strauss Junior’s “The Bat Overture,” “The Blue Danube” and “Cuckoo Polka,” Puccini’s “Oh My Beloved Father,” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from Broadway musical “My Fair Lady.”

Time: 8 p.m., Dec. 28

Venue: Shenzhen Poly Theater, Nanshan District

Metro: Line 2 or 11 to Houhai Station, Exit E

Vienna Royal Symphony Orchestra

Under the baton of Italian composer and conductor Stefano Maria Torchio, the Vienna Royal Symphony Orchestra will honor a Vienna tradition to present works from the vast repertoire of the family of Johann Strauss and their contemporaries. The orchestra will also balance the 105-minute program with familiar Chinese pieces and the most popular pieces from the classical repertoire.

Time: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 31, Jan. 1, 2025

Venue: Opera Hall, Bay Opera of Shenzhen, Bao’an District

Metro: Line 11 to Bao’an Station, Exit B; then take a taxi

Shows

‘The Reunion of OasisIns’

Inspired by murals of the Mogao Grottoes in Northwest China’s Gansu Province, “The Reunion of Oasis,” crafted by China’s finest performing artists, will grace Shenzhen Poly Theater in January.

This production, which has been in the making for over two years, utilizes 10 chapters of modern dance to narrate the epic journey of a team messengers who traveled a vast distance to announce the victory news from a war to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Depicting various aspects of ancient society - including soldiers, monks, and musicians - the dance drama brings to life scenes from the murals, such as farmers sowing, farewells, encounters with robbers, and soldiers seeking shelter in a tavern.

Time: 8 p.m., Jan. 3-5

Venue: Shenzhen Poly Theater, Nanshan District

Metro: Line 2 or 11 to Houhai Station, Exit E

‘The Peacock’

The dance drama, choreographed by renowned dance artist Yang Liping, will stage four performances at the Pingshan Theater.

A story themed on life and love through its four chapters of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, “The Peacock” is an exploration of life and the nature in the form of stage arts. The dance drama also reflects the choreographer’s insights into new possibilities of Oriental aesthetics and the inheritance of traditional Chinese culture.

Yang, 66, will star in the work’s “Winter” chapter.

Time: 8 p.m., Jan. 17-18, 2025; 3 p.m., Jan. 18-19, 2025

Venue: Pingshan Theater, Pingshan District

Metro: Line 14 to Pingshan Square Station, Exit D1

Exhibitions

Asian art masters

The prestigious “10x10 Masters of Asian Art Exhibition” has made its grand debut at the Dafen Art Museum in Longgang District, presenting a diverse array of Asian and global cultures created by 10 esteemed art masters.

The exhibition sets a new benchmark for showcasing the amalgamation of artistic expressions from China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia, across various mediums spanning photography, installations, audiovisuals, and design under the overarching theme of “Asian Portraits.”

The featured works not only reflect the artists’ profound cultural insights but also showcase their pioneering innovations and contributions to contemporary art, providing audiences with deep reflections on the current cultural milieu.

Dates: Until Jan. 5, 2025

Venue: Dafen Art Museum, Longgang District

Metro: Line 3 to Dafen Station, Exit A1

French impressionist photos

An exhibition focusing on French artist Jean-François Rauzier’s impressionist photographic series, “Givernisme,” is being held at the Sea World Culture and Arts Center in Shekou, Nanshan District.

As the first solo exhibition of the artist in South China, the exhibition showcases over 50 representative photographs by Rauzier.

His works are not only a profound reflection on the way we see the world, but they also touch on core issues that run through the foundations of society, such as culture, science, progress, oppression, ecology, and utopia.

Dates: Through Feb. 23, 2025

Venue: L2 UCCN Gallery, Sea World Culture and Arts Center, Nanshan District

Metro: Line 2 or 12 to Sea World Station, Exit A

Event

SZ Bay Public Art Season

Visitors to Shenzhen Talent Park are captivated by a towering giant sculpture of the legendary Monkey King, seemingly breaking through the skies with grandeur.

“The Great Sage,” created by Li Xiangqun, is one of the 14 large outdoor art pieces on display in “The Vitality of Nature” 2024 Shenzhen Bay Public Art Season that raised its curtain to the public at the Shenzhen Talent Park earlier this month.

This year’s public art season features exhibitions at the park and in the Yuehai campus of Shenzhen University.

The 2024 Shenzhen Bay Public Art Season runs until March next year.

(Tang Li)