National Centre for the Perfoming Arts

April the 27th marks the opening of the 13th Meet in Beijing Arts Festival, with Jose Carreras singing the Chinese song My Beijing at the National Centre for the Performing Arts to metaphorically cut the ribbon.

Those who follow Carreras’ career will be surprised to hear that he is singing in Chinese, but Zhang Zu, the president of the China Arts and Entertainment Group, assures fans that the tenor has been touching up his language skills in preparation. This multicultural performance is one of the many aspects that will highlight how far Meet in Beijing has come since its debut over a decade ago.

“Compared with 13 years ago when Meet in Beijing started, both China and the world have changed a lot,” says Zhang. “China has become closer to the world, and that is showcased in the festival.”

Jose Carreras. Source: elpanorama.hola.com

Audiences will be able to watch more than 60 art ensembles from over 20 countries around the world perform 50 indoor shows and 100 outdoor shows, including exciting performances by Renee Fleming, the Horn Orchestra of Russia, and Water Language, a dance drama. They can also wander through the many exhibitions taking place and participate in the numerous educational events that will run alongside it.

Choosing Jose Carreras to open the event is no coincidence, though, as there will be a sizeable section of the festival dedicated to the Latin American Arts Season, which will showcase a number of different artworks and performances from 18 Latin American countries.

This area devoted to the creative work of Latin America is just one of many mini festivals within the festival. Others include the Beijing International Women Festival, INTRO Electronic Music Festival, and Chaoyang Pop Music Festival.

Beijing People's Art Theatre.

The Meet in Beijing 2013 edition will run through until May the 30th, when Beijing People’s Art Theatre will perform White Deer Plain to close. Featuring Shaanxi dialect and traditional Qinqiang Opera, the drama highlights some important Chinese traditions and culture.

Meet in Beijing’s main aim, though, is to create strong connections between the art scenes from many different countries:

“China is a big country, and as a comprehensive arts festival in the capital, Meet in Beijing should introduce more international artists to China, as well as Chinese artists to the world,” says Zhang. “We hope we can connect China and the world through Meet in Beijing Arts Festival.”