Irish dance: The Irish International Dance Company, one of the most dynamic dance troupes in the world, will tour China with its classic production “Spirit of the Dance-the New Millennium.”

The dancers include such famous names as Patricia Murray, one of the Irish dancing champions, and first-rate ballerina Claire Holding.

Sponsored by China National Culture and Art Company Ltd., the dancing troupe will give three performances at the Century Theatre.

Time: 7:30 pm, June 23-25

Place: Century Theatre, 40 Liangmaqiaolu, Chaoyang District Telephone: 6551-8888

Piano solos: Twenty Chinese and foreign piano music works will be played by three young, promising pianists from the China Central Conservatory of Music.

Programmes includes: “Consolation No 3 in D-flat major” by Liszt, “For Elise” by Beethoven, “Turkish March” by Mozart, “Waltz in C-sharp minor” and “A Minute Waltz” by Chopin, and “Hungarian Dance” by Brahms.

Time: 7:30 pm, June 16

Place: Beijing Concert Hall, I Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District

Telephone: 6605-5812

Top Summer Music Festivals to Travel to

Summer is the great time of a year for music lovers, especially if you love the outdoor concerts. Festival season is just beginning, and there is much to look forward to in the coming months.

Primavera Sound

To start the summer, there’s no better place than Barcelona. At the concert, you’ll find bands like The Zombies, Arcade Fire, and Bon Iver. Then take some time to taste the local food and wine.

May 31-June 4, Barcelona, Spain

Music Type: Rock, hip-hop

Price: $ 86-$ 323

Governors Ball

One of the great summer concerts in New York City is Governor’s Ball, which takes place in early June at Randall’s Island Park. Some of the playing artists include Tool, Phoenix, Lorde, Flume, and the Wu-Tang Clan.

June 2-4, New York, USA

Music Type: Rock, hip-hop, pop

Price: $ 105-$ 405

Bonnaroo

Bonnaroo is another summer event that attracts crowds of around 60,000 each year. Some of the most well-known musicians will be playing this year, including U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weekend, and Chance the Rapper.

June 8-11, Manchester, Tennessee, USA

Music Type: Rock, hip-hop

Price: $ 210-$ 554

Firefly Music Festival

Many people haven’t thought of going to Delaware for a summer vacation, but mid-June is a great time to plan this trip if you love music. Bands for this year’s show are The Weekend, Muse, Twenty One Pilots, and Chance the Rapper.

June 15-18, Dover, Delaware, USA

Music Type: Blues, rock

Price: $ 179-$ 499

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer. In his twenties, he had been very famous for his skills on the piano, but then he began to lose his hearing. Beethoven thought about giving up, but in the end he continued to write music. He carried on with the composition until his death in 1827. He composed more than 130 musical works, including his Ninth Symphony (交响曲) .

One day in February 1824, his Ninth Symphony was finally completed. Writing the piece had taken several years. A she proudly signed his name at the bottom of the page, Beethoven tried to imagine how people would respond when they heard it for the first time. Before the performance, the backstage atmosphere at a very famous theatre in Austria was anxious. Beethoven was afraid that the performance would be a disaster. After all, what use is a conductor who could not hear his orchestra (管弦乐) — even if he has a talent for music?

The audience didn’t hesitate to applaud (鼓掌) loudly as the famous composer walked out on to the stage. The theatre’s musical director, Michael Umlauf, joined him and together the two men took charge of the orchestra. For more than an hour, Beethoven jumped about in front of the orchestra, waving his arms wildly in the air, and madly turning the pages of his score (乐谱).

As the symphony came to an end, the audience jumped to their feet, clapping, cheering and waving their hats. But Beethoven continued conducting, his head buried in the score. It was not until Caroline Unger, one of the singers, took his arm and turned him to face the audience that the great man realized his symphony was a victory.

Later, Caroline remembered that Beethoven was not the only one who got a surprise. “The audience was shocked as well,” she said with abroad smile. “Most of them had no idea that he lost his hearing. The one person in the room who didn’t hear the symphony — and never would — was the very man who composed it.”