Rising stars

Young musicians who are actually students at Beijing No 101 High School will feature in a concert, conducted by Liu Fengde, He Rong and Shao En. The talented youngsters won First Prize at the Vienna Youth Symphonic Music Competition, and this time will play works by Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Chinese composers like Huang Anlun. 7:30 pm, Dec 30 at Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie. Tel: 6605-7006. (1)

Welcoming in

The China Philharmonic Youth Chorus will present a New Year's Eve Concert, conducted by Wu Lingfen. Piano will be played by Peter Seivewright, trumpet by Ying Cai, and organ by Wu Dan. Programme: "Hallelujah," "Toccata and Fugue in D minor," "Happy New Year to You," and "Moon Reflected on Erquan," a Chinese piece but a jazz version this time for piano and trumpet. 7:30 pm, Dec 31 at Forbidden City Concert Hall. Tel: 6559-8285 (, )

Dark drama

An interactive, experimental drama, entitled "On Darkness' Non-existence," will be staged. The show uses topical events from 2005 such as the She Xiangning wife murder case, the commercial and hypocritical "Super Girl" show, the space travel of Shenzhou VI, and Hurricane Katrina in US. 7:30 pm, Dec 30-Jan 6, 2006 at Eastern Avant-garde Theatre of China National Drama Theatre, Oriental Plaza. Tel: 6527-6911 ()

New Year nutcrack

Conducted by Tan Lihua, the Beijing Symphony Orchestra will give a New Year concert. Programme: "Piano Concerto No 1 in B flat minor" by Tchaikovsky, music excerpts from ballet "Swan Lake," "Nutcracker" and Chinese works like "Dance of the Yao People." 7:30 pm, Jan 1, 2006, at Forbidden City Concert Hall. Tel: 6559-8285

Rent due

The modern-day version of "La Boheme," "Rent," an American Broadway musical, will be performed by an international cast, including Hong Kong star Karen Mok as Mimi. 7:30 pm, Dec 30-Jan 5 at Beizhan Theatre, Xizhimenwai Dajie. Tel: 6835-4455. (/)

Solar youth

A symphonic concert will be performed by the Beijing Solar Youth Orchestra, under the baton of Jiang Xiongda. They will play such melodies like "Emperor Waltz," "Love Story," and theme music works from "The Sleeping Beauty," "Titanic" and "Gone With the Wind." 2 pm, Jan 2, 2006 at Forbidden City Concert Hall. Tel: 6559-8285

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Second episode

Another New Year's concert will be staged by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, this time conducted by Tan Lihua. Programme: "Festival Overture," "Hungarian Dances No 1" and Chinese works such as "Jasmine Flower." 7:30 pm, Jan 2, 2006 at Forbidden City Concert Hall. Tel: 6559-8285

Merry marches

To welcome in the New Year, such mirthful melodies from the Strauss family as "Radetzky March," "The Blue Danube," polkas and waltzes will be played to lift the spirits. 7:30 pm, Dec 31 at Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie. Tel: 6605-7006, 6605-5812.

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Piano rock

Robert Wells will give a special concert, mix-matching classic with jazz, rock n roll and pop. The youngest student ever to be recruited by the Royal Swedish Music Academy, his show, "Rhapsody in Rock," has been touring the world for over 12 years. 7:30 pm, Jan 4, 2006 at the Great Hall of the People. Tel: 400-818-3333. ()

(China Daily 12/30/2005 page14)