Chinese American cellist Yo-yo Ma, Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa, and artist Chu Teh-chun will perform or host exhibitions in Shanghai during the second half of this year.

The city's top culture venues, the Shanghai Art Museum and Shanghai Grand Theater, announced their upcoming events yesterday. The Shanghai Art Museum, after a quiet summer, will hold several big shows starting next month including solo exhibitions by Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong, 86, and Chinese-French artist Chu Teh-chun.

Wu's exhibition will open on September 9, and include 96 artworks ranging from oil, and ink-wash paintings to sketches.

"Due to his poor health, the exhibition probably is his last one in Shanghai," said Jiang Mei, the curator of the exhibit.

Chu's name is familiar to local art lovers - one of his huge pieces is hanging in the lobby of the Shanghai Grand Theater. His exhibition, which starts from October 11, will feature 29 of his works.

Another big exhibition is an outdoor installation - the last exhibition for the "Year of France in China" program.

"It will cover the eastern outside wall of the museum with net-like materials in the hues of the French national flag," said Xiao Xiaolan, the art museum's curator.

After closing for renovations for two months, the Grand Theater reopens tonight with Shanghai Ballet's The White Haired Girl, a Chinese classic.

The renovation improved the lighting and sound systems in the theater, making it more suitable for world-class shows. On November 14, Yo-yo Ma will grace the stage, while Japanese conductor master Seiji Ozawa will bring G.A. Rossini's Il Barbiere di Subtitle to the stage on October 7.

The closing performance for the "Year of France in China" is the ballets Giselle and L'Arlesienne by the Ballet de l'Opera National de Paris at the end of September.

(Shanghai Daily August 26, 2005)