Beijing Music Festival to open

The 17th Beijing Music Festival will soon open in the Chinese capital. As the most important classical music event in the country, the annual festival will bring together artists from around the world. And as this year marks the 150th anniversary of Richard Strauss, the event will pay tribute to the German composer.

The theme of this year's Beijing Music Festival is "Richard Strauss in Beijing".

16 of his operas will be presented, including "Ariadne auf Naxos" and "Elektra".

Like previous editions, this year's event will invite distinguished musicians and music groups from home and abroad. Audiences will have the chance to watch 19 performances by artists from the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Paris Orchestra. Renowned Chinese musicians such as Li Yundi, Wang Jian and Lu Wei will also hit the stage.

To lure more audience to theaters, tickets for some performances are at very low prices.

What's more, the festival offers free children's concerts and student concerts.

The Beijing Music Festival opens on October 9th.