BEIJING’S new futuristic National Center for the Performing Arts, formerly known as the National Grand Theater, will begin the formal performance season Dec. 22.
An inaugural concert will be given by the China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) and the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. Solo pianist Li Yundi will play a piece by Maurice Ravel, said Deng Yijiang, deputy president of the National Center for the Performing Arts.
The Mariinsky Theater Opera Company (known until 1991 as the Kirov), from St. Petersburg, Russia, will perform Alexander Borodin’s “Prince Igor” on Dec. 25. It will be the first foreign art troupe to give a performance in the building.
Between Dec. 22 and April 6, about 6,000 Chinese and overseas artists will give 180 performances, including operas such as “Othello” and ballets including “Swan Lake” and “Jewels and Le Corsaire.”
Among international performers who will be appearing will be conductors Valery Gergiev and Seiji Ozawa, and sopranos Kathleen Battle and Kiri Te Kanawa. Apart from the Mariinsky Theater of Russia, other famous foreign orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, will also give performances.
These shows were expected to attract audiences totaling 300,000 and more than 20,000 tickets had already been sold for the opening season, Deng said.
Despite the huge development costs and high profile, the National Center for the Performing Arts was not just for the wealthy, he said.
The center will sell tickets for as little as 30 yuan (US$4) and the average ticket price will be lower than that for a regular show in Beijing, he said.
“Our purpose is not just to make money, but rather to attract a much wider audience to the National Center of the Performing Arts,” he said.
However, the cost of tickets for the inaugural show is far higher, ranging from 180 yuan to 1,080 yuan.
Tickets for all shows are available via the center’s Web site, www.chncpa.org — which was launched on Tuesday — or from the center’s box office and regular ticketing agents. The English version of the Web site is not yet completed.
Ren said all the center’s phone receptionists would be able to handle requests in basic English.
The building has been controversial, with some describing the arts complex designed by French architect Paul Andreu as out of keeping with its near neighbor, the Forbidden City. Others hail it as a futuristic, signature building.
The certer, which is to the west of Tian’anmen Square, boasts three large halls — a 2,416-seat opera house, a 2,017-seat concert hall and a 1,040-seat theater.
Construction of the National Grand Theater began in December 2001 and was completed in late September this year. Total investment was 2.69 billion yuan.
Commenting on the change of the building’s English name, Ren said, “Its previous English version — the National Grand Theater — could easily cause confusion as we have three specialized venues: the opera house, the concert hall and a theater. The change of name was made after soliciting opinions from many experts.”
(SD-Agencies)
