Best bets

The Night of HNA - Vasily Petrenko& London

Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing

Date: Jan 6 - 7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 380-1,680 yuan

Born in 1976, Vasily Petrenko started his music education at the St. Petersburg Capella Boys Music School - the oldest music school in Russia. He then studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire and has also participated in master classes with such major figures as Ilya Musin, Mariss Jansons, and Yuri Temirkanov. Recognized today as one of the finest orchestras on the international stage, the London Philharmonic Orchestra balances a long and distinguished history with a reputation as one of the UK's most forward-looking ensembles. As well as its concert performances, the Orchestra also records film soundtracks, releases CDs on its own record label, and enhances the lives of thousands of people every year through activities for families, schools and local communities.

TR Warszawa: Two Swords in Beijing

Date: Jan 20-21 - 7:30 pm

Venue: Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center

Price: 99-580 yuan

Grzegorz Jarzyna's Two Swords is the first premiere for the famous Polish stage director and founder of the TR Warszawa punk theater to be produced in China with an international group of actors from China, Poland and the United States. The script is based on a story by Lu Xun, one of the most important Chinese writers and essayists of the first half of the 20th century. Written in 1926, the story is a variation on the ancient Chinese myth of a sword-maker murdered on the orders of the king and of the swordmaker's son who wants to avenge his father's death. In this symbolic story, Xun asks about the price of exposing the truth and shows the kind of sacrifice struggle for justice requires. Grzegorz Jarzyna delves into Chinese mythology in search of values that have been forgotten in today's world.