Art beat ... finger on the pulse

Beijing

Songs of the city

Singer-songwriter Hao Yun has made a name for himself with urban folk songs. He will perform a new concert, Daydreaming, in Beijing. With his chatty lyrics and simple guitar playing, which are inspired by his life experiences from teaching music to motorcycle racing, the 35-year-old Beijing native has won a stable fan base since his first self-titled album in 2008. His biggest break came in early 2014, when he performed at the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

7:30 pm, Nov 22. Beijing Exhibition Theater, 135, Xizhimenwai Dajie (Street), Xicheng district, Beijing. 400-610-3721.

Danish rockers

Danish indie rock duo, The Raveonettes, will kick off their China tour soon. Consisting of vocalist-guitarist Sune Rose Wagner and bassist-vocal Sharin Foo, the duo was founded in 2001 and is known for their strong sound effect and sharp guitar strumming. With seven albums under their belt, the duo is a frequent feature at music festivals, including Coachella and SXSW (South By Southwest).

7:30 pm, Nov 22. 3F of Tango Club, 79, Hepingli Xijie (West Street), Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-5869-8003.

Triumph at 80

Established Chinese pianist Fu Cong will give a recital to celebrate his 80th birthday on Nov 22. Programs include Schumann's Arabesque, Mozart's Rondo in A minor and Chopin's 3 Mazurkas. The son of famous scholar and translator Fu Lei, he learned the piano at age 3 and won the third prize at Chopin international piano competition in 1955. After working and living in Poland and the United Kingdom, he returned to China in 1976.

7:30 pm, Nov 22. National Center for the Performing Arts. 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6655-0000.

Shanghai

King Lear

Suzuki Company of Toga (SCOT), a leading contemporary theater company in Japan, will present a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's King Lear. In it, an aging monarch will be seen sitting in a chair during the last few hours of his life, recollecting memories of the tragic fallout from his daughters' betrayal and greed. The production, with subtitles, will be in Chinese, Korean and Japanese languages.

7:30 pm, Nov 20-22; 2 pm, Nov 23. Arts Theater, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 1F, 288 Anfu Lu (Road), Xuhui district, Shanghai. 021-6473-0123.

West End singers

The West End Men is a show that will be presented by a group of singers who have performed at several West End musicals in London. West End is an area in central London that's famous for its tourist attractions. The group is on a debut tour of China, and is performing covers of some of the world's biggest shows, other than singing a few of their own selection. Their voices and personalities, backed by a live band and choir, will likely captivate audiences.

7:15 pm, Nov 21-22. Opera Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu (Road), Pudong New Area, Shanghai. 021-6854-1234.

UK theater feature

Gecko Theater from the United Kingdom will give two performances of its latest creation Missing in Shanghai. The international theater company was founded by Amit Lahav in 2000. Missing is directed by Lahav and has toured the UK since 2012, winning critical acclaim.

7:30 pm, Nov 25-26. Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Dadao (Avenue), Huangpu district, Shanghai. 400-1068-686.

(China Daily USA 11/17/2014 page10)