Beijing

Bach honored

A concert series honoring Johann Sebastian Bach at the Forbidden City Concert Hall will feature Dutch baritone Matthaus Van Der Voe and Chinese-American pianist Zhai Zhitian this weekend. The program includes Bach's prelude and fugue and selections from Matthus Passion and Secular Cantatas; Felix Mendelssohn's Farewell to the Forest and May Breezes; Robert Schumann's vocal works Op 125 and Op 39; and Dmitri Shostakovich's Prelude and Fugue for piano No 7 in A Major.

7:30 pm, March 6. Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square. 010-6559-8285

German-Norwegian band's Beijing debut

German-Norwegian musical group, The Whitest Boy Alive, is holding its debut show. Formed in Berlin in 2003, the band comprises singer/guitarist Erlend Oye, who is also a member of the band Kings of Convenience, bassist Marcin Oz, drummer Sebastian Maschat, and Daniel Nentwig, Rhodes piano and Crumar synthesizer. They released their debut album, Dreams, in 2006, whose Burning is now one of their most popular songs.

7:30pm, March 15. Tango, third Floor of StarLive), 79 Heping Xijie, Dongcheng district. 152-0166-5539

Incredible India

Mark your calendars for a fun-filled day at the Incredible India-ICB Bazaar, 2011, on Sunday, March 13, at the British School of Beijing, Sanlitun, from 10 am to 4 pm. Dig into all your favorite Indian foods and delectable drinks, plus an eclectic mix of lesser-known treats brought to you by Beijing's finest Indian restaurants and some of its most talented home kitchens. Pick up some of the best of Indian, hand-embroidered clothes, beautiful home decor items, gorgeous jewelry, besides unbeatable bargains, while enjoying a day-long feast of lively songs and dances and a chance to win exciting raffle prizes, with draws every hour. And, with the long summer holidays coming up, plan your trip to exotic India with help from India tourism staff, who will happily answer your queries.

Shanghai

Maestro conductor

Conductor Zubin Mehta, who makes his fifth appearance in Shanghai, will lead the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fionrentino for a concert to mark the 100th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's death. The orchestra will present his Symphony No 1, known as Titan.

7:15 pm, March 23. Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Avenue. 021-6386-8686

Symphony orchestra from Dresden

Founded in 1548, Staatskapelle Dresden is one of the world's oldest orchestras. It was closely linked to composer Richard Strauss for more than 60 years, and nine of his operas premiered in Dresden.

The Shanghai concert will be led by Nikolai Znaider, a violinist and conductor from Denmark.

7:30 pm, March 23. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu. 021-6854-1234

Contemporary inks

A new collection of contemporary Chinese ink paintings by Shan Sa can now be seen. The Immortal Life compositions offer glimpses of the beauty and hedonism of the immortal world and highlight the transience of our own mortal paths.

10 am-6:30 pm, Tues-Fri; 1:30 pm-6:30 pm, Sat and Sun; Monday by appointment, March 3-April 30. Elisabeth De Brabant Art Center, 299 Fuxing Xilu. 021-6466-7428

Australian culture

As part of the Year of Australian Culture in China titled Imagine Australia, the exhibition Yarnangu Ngaanya - Our Land, Our Body will present artworks by the Ngaanyatjarra people from the Warburton arts community.

The show is an acknowledgment of the efforts of young Aboriginal people to protect and pass on their heritage.

9 am-5 pm, March 13-April 5. Shanghai Art Museum, 325 Nanjing Xilu. 021-6327-2829