Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova singer Lisa Ono's jazz concert is scheduled on May 18. [Photo provided to chinaculture.org]

Asian arts take center stage

The 2019 festival will focus on Asian arts. On April 25 the China National Traditional Orchestra will team up with musicians from Thailand, Pakistan and Japan to stage an Asian-themed concert, which will form the opening of the month-long festival.

"China will host a conference on Dialogue among Asian Civilizations in May. To echo with that, we hope this year's Meet in Beijing will fully display Asian cultures and promote communication among Asian countries," said Wang Xiuqin, general manager of the China Arts and Entertainment Group, one of the event organizers, during a press conference Tuesday.

Highlights from Asia will include a Ballet Gala of Asia on May 14, which will convene the best Asian troupes, from countries including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, to perform excerpts from classics such as Spartacus, Swan Lake, Don Quixote and Le Corsaire.