Beijing's new National Grand Theater will begin its formal performance season on December 22, Beijing Star Daily reported. Between December 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, Jewels and Le Corsaire.

Among international performers will be conductors Valery Gergiev and Seiji Ozawa, and sopranos Kathleen Battle and Kiri Te Kanawa. Famous foreign art troupes include the Mariinsky Theater of Russia and the New York Philharmonic.

An audience of 300,000 is expected and more than 20,000 tickets have already been sold for the opening season. Tickets for all shows are available via the center's website, www.chncpa.org, which was launched on Tuesday.

(China Daily November 28, 2007)