"It will be my first collaboration with conductor Li Biao. We've been classmates and friends for years. It feels like a reunion," the cellist says.

Tenor Wang will perform two songs during the concert: Sky Road, written by Chinese songwriter Yin Qing and first performed by pop singer-songwriter Han Hong, and A Glass of Wine, a folk song of the Uygur ethnic group.

"Sky Road is very popular among Chinese music lovers and the song was first released in 2001 to celebrate the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest rail system," says Wang. "It's a song written for female singers, which was later adapted into a version for male singers. I once performed it during a concert dedicated to the work of composer Yin Qing. He told me stories behind the song and helped me to better understand it.

"The folk song of the Uygur ethnic group, A Glass of Wine, is full of joy, which fits well with the New Year atmosphere," he adds.

Known for his performances of folk songs and Chinese operas, Wang, 53, is the vice-president of Tianjin Conservatory of Music. The award-winning tenor has also performed on TV, such as during China Central Television's annual Spring Festival Gala, which is one of the most-watched TV broadcasts in China.

Other highlights include a concert on Monday by cellist Ma Wen and harpist Wang Guan, both teachers at the Central Conservatory of Music, performing Siciliano by Bach, Nocturne Op 12 by Vincenzo Bellini and Franz Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor.

On Jan 9, the Sea Harp Duo, consisting of Chinese harpists Sun Shimeng and Ma Jiajie, will give a concert in support of their new album, Baroque Flamenco, featuring the titular piece by American harpist Deborah Henson-Conant and Spanish Dances by Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, as well as pieces adapted from movie soundtracks, including James Bond movie themes.

Since 2001, the Beijing Philharmonic Choir has performed during the New Year Concert series and, this year, conductor Yang Li will lead it in performances of both Chinese and Western classics, including The Blue Danube, Colorful Rain, and Spring Is Coming, at a concert on Jan 15.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn