Cheng Fangyuan studied erhu (Chinese two-string fiddle) at the Central Conservatory of Music in 1977. But the Beijing native became one of the first mainland singers to sing English songs while playing guitar in the early 1980s. With 10 albums under her belt, the 52-year-old will celebrate her passion for English songs at her upcoming concerts in Beijing. Instead of big theaters, Cheng has chosen a small live music venue with a capacity of no more than 700 seats. The style of the concerts is skewed toward drama rather than the normal singing and guitar playing.Cheng will tell the story of her life, and share her reflections on life and marriage. Along with her music, she will display her photography at an exhibition inside the venue.

7:30 pm, Jan 18-20. 5 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 400-610-3721.

- Chen Nan