Makhar Vaziev (R), artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Shenzhen Art Festival of ICIF at Pingshan Theater on May 14. Photos courtesy of the organizers

Applause erupted repeatedly as the Bolshoi Ballet from Russia presented a night of excerpts from 11 classic ballets at the Pingshan Theater on May 14. This stunning visual feast marked the opening of the 2025 Shenzhen Art Festival of ICIF, which will showcase Western symphonies, opera, dance performances, and a Chinese musical across Shenzhen through July.

Accompanied by the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, several principal dancers and soloists from the Bolshoi Ballet performed excerpts from timeless classics such as “Swan Lake,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Don Quixote” on May 14-15. 

“Shenzhen is the most impressive city I have visited,” said Makhar Vaziev, artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet. He shared that he recently watched the Shenzhen-produced dance drama “Wing Chun” in Russia and was amazed. He believes dance is one of the best art forms for cultural exchange. 

“The Bolshoi Ballet’s performance with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra marks the start of future collaboration. I hope China and Russia continue to strengthen their cultural ties,” he added.

A previous performance by the Bolshoi Ballet. 

With the years 2024 and 2025 as the China-Russia Years of Culture, this year’s Shenzhen Art Festival of ICIF, hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and the Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau, focuses on cultural exchange between the two countries.

Audience members can look forward to three concerts by the Mariinsky Orchestra, led by conductor Valery Gergiev, at Shenzhen Concert Hall on May 24-25, featuring symphonies by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev alongside classical opera excerpts.

Mexican tenor Javier Camarena will deliver a solo opera concert May 31 at Pingshan Theater, following masterclasses at the theater on May 28-29. The Royal Opera of the Château de Versailles will also perform opera excerpts from masterpieces by Porpora, Vinci, Handel, Hasse, Ariosti, and Graun at Guangming Culture and Art Center on June 1.

A dance show by top Chinese dancers (time to be announced) and the Chinese dance drama “The Station,” scheduled for June 21-22 at Bay Opera of Shenzhen in Bao’an District, as well as the Chinese musical “The Brothers Karamazov,” to be held July 26-27 at Pingshan Theater, will showcase the diversity of modern Chinese performing arts.

A poster of concerts by Mexican tenor Javier Camarena and his students at Pingshan Theater.

“As a major cultural brand of Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Art Festival of ICIF is not only a spectacular art event but also a window for fostering cultural exchange,” said Liu Lei, director of the Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau. “The festival serves as a platform for original productions and has promoted numerous high-quality performances both nationally and internationally.”

During the festival running through July, beneficial show ticket prices start as low as 100 yuan or less and audience members can enjoy discounts on local hotels and scenic spots with show tickets.

The China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) will be held from May 22 to 26 at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center in Bao’an District. The “Amazing Shenzhen” project will feature numerous special offers in culture, tourism, and shopping. The combination of the art festival, ICIF, and summer vacation tourism promises an unforgettable experience.

A scene from the Chinese musical “The Brothers Karamazov,” to be staged at Pingshan Theater.

ICIF performances at Pingshan Theater:

Javier Camarena

The young vocalists who would attend Mexican tenor Javier Camarena’s masterclasses at Pingshan Theater on May 28-29 will give a concert of classical opera excerpts May 29. Camarena will sing classical opera excerpts at his solo concert May 31.

Camarena is the preeminent Mozart and bel canto specialist of his generation. Praised for his burnished tone, gleaming high notes, flawless coloratura and veracious portrayals, he regularly appears in leading roles alongside today’s foremost stars at the world’s top opera houses.

Masterclass students’ concert: 8 p.m., May 29

Camarena’s concert: 3 p.m., May 31

‘The Brothers Karamazov’

The Chinese musical is adapted from the novel of the same name by the Russian literary master Fyodor Dostoevsky. Set in 19th-century Russia, “The Brothers Karamazov” is a passionate philosophical novel that ponders on the questions of God, free will, and morality. It is a theological drama dealing with problems of faith, doubt, and reason in the context of a modernizing Russia, with a plot that revolves around the subject of patricide. 

Time: 3 p.m., July 26-27

Booking: WeChat account “PingShanTheatre”

Metro: Line 14 to Pingshan Square Station (坪山广场站), Exit D1

SkyShuttle: Line 1 to Culture Center Station (文化聚落站), Exit A