Launched in 2003 during the Chinese New Year, Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts was introduced as one of four annual cultural festivals at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay celebrating Singapore’s multicultural heritage.
We aspire to make Huayi the pinnacle festival for Chinese artists, and to be internationally recognised as an arts festival that showcases the works of the most outstanding Chinese artists.
Through commissions, co-productions, presentations and showcases, Huayi enables audiences to experience some of the most dynamic forms of artistic expression by Chinese artists.
Huayi introduces our audiences to works that reveal the unique individual voices of Chinese artists, and as a multi-genre arts festival, the works curated for each Huayi range across a wide spectrum, from the traditional to the contemporary, the mainstream to the cutting-edge.
Huayi is committed to working with Singapore artists and making them known to an international audience as well, by fostering collaborations or partnerships with arts centres and arts festivals.
We are humbled and yet also heartened that Huayi has grown into one of the most warmly embraced arts festivals in Singapore, and a sought-after platform for Chinese artists all over the world.
And as it takes place during the Chinese New Year, we celebrate the occasion with an inspiring and exciting line-up of Arts programmes, both ticketed and non-ticketed. We invite people from all walks of life to come enjoy and participate in our programmes, and we hope that they will encounter much inspiration and positivity so as to start the year on a cheery note.
Theatre
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
“Li Liuyi is Asia’s most influential stage artist in the new century.” Japanese contemporary theatre master Suzuki Tadashi
Friday 15 – Sunday 17 February – Fri & Sat: 8pm / Sun: 2.30pm – Esplanade Theatre
Tickets from $38 to $148 (VIP Meet & Greet)
The Way of Zhuang Zi
“A flawless quick-paced production that shines with scintillating wit. The captivating storyline and playful dialogue is a strong testament to director Huang Chih Kai’s brilliance and capability.” Veteran Taiwanese host Sam Tseng Kuo
Friday 2nd – Sunday 24th February – Fri & Sat: 8pm / Sun: 2.30pm – Esplanade Theatre
Tickets from $38 to $98
FOUR FOUR EIGHT
“Please open the curtains.” She said.
This performance begins long before you step into the bar. Small, deliberate moments will connect you with the artist and his inner world. Through emails and other ephemeral social interactions, you will be drawn into the artist’s processes of creation—the impulses, the loneliness, the struggles, and the triumphs… and we invite you to be part of the creation process.
Please write to [email protected] with “I want to open the curtains” to get connected, and do remember to attach an image of your ticket.
Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 February – 6pm – 11.30pm
The ExciseMan Whisky Bar @ Esplanade Mall, #02-27Tickets: $58 (Includes 1 glass of whisky/wine/mocktail)
Love Letter
“…this is just me, me the way I write, the way I want to be to you…and you can tear me up and throw me out, or keep me, and read me today, tomorrow, any time you want until you die.”
Could the love of your life be just a letter away? Can writing a lifetime’s worth of letters make you fall in love with someone whom you always thought of as just a friend?
Friday 22 – Sunday 24 February – Esplanade Recital Studio
The Nonsensemakers (HK): Fri, 8pm & Sat, 3pm:
Performed in Cantonese with English and Chinese surtitles.
Nelson Chia and Mia Chee (SG): Sat, 8pm & Sun, 3pm:
Performed in Mandarin with English surtitles.
Advisory: This performance contains some mature content.
There will be a post-show talk after each performance.
Tickets: $38 Concessions for students, NSFs and seniors: $27
Child’s Play – The Story of the Banyan Tree
After two successful runs of Child’s Play at Huayi 2017 and 2018, Singapore theatre director Danny Yeo, in collaboration with 3Pumpkins, returns with Child’s Play – The Story of the Banyan Tree.
Friday 15 – Wednesday 17, 19 & 20 Feb 2019 – Fri – Sun: 11am & 4pm / Tue: 2.30pm (Sold Out) / Wed: 2.30pm – Esplanade Annexe Studio
Tickets: $30
For children only. No admission for parents/guardians. Recommended for children aged 6–11. No admission for ages below 6.
MUSIC
Khalil Fong TIO Concert Tour
Just Throw It Off and follow your heart to the Esplanade Concert Hall, as Khalil Fong makes his long-awaited return to Singapore with his first-ever concert at Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts.
Saturday 16 February – 7.30pm – Esplanade Concert Hall
Tickets: from $58 to $168
Admission ageAdmission for ages 6 and above.
Dear John
“The piano instrument, the spatial installation, the body of the musician, and the body of the dancer altogether created a brand new artistic circuit. This is not a simple piece of interdisciplinary collaboration; this is a project that confronts all existing paradigms and explores new horizons of art.” Lin Yu Pin, art critic, Taishin Arts Award
Friday 15 & Saturday 16 February – Fri 8pm/Sat 3pm & 8pm – Esplanade Theatre Studio
Tickets: $38
Concessions for students, NSFs and seniors: $27
Up & Down the Mountain – Martin Feng Ruan Recital
Nature, where everything grows and matures, originates from the Tao of Heaven and Earth, while music is the bridge that nurtures inner communication between humanity and the world, building harmony between people and nature – Martin Feng.
Friday 15 & Saturday 16 February – 8pm – Esplanade Recital Studio
Tickets : $38
Concessions for students, NSFs and seniors: $27
Rising Star Tiffany Poon Solo Piano Recital
“Tiffany Poon plays with technical skills well beyond her years.” The Columbus Dispatch
Sunday 7 February – 5pm – Esplanade Recital Studio
Tickets: $38
Concessions for students, NSFs and seniors: $27
An Enchanted Evening with Nanyang Songbird Yudi Yap
Yudi’s charisma and velvety voice will be on brilliant display as she performs jazzy renditions of classics such as Rose Rose I Love You, Dayung Sampan, Tian Mi Mi, Liu Lian Piao Xiang and Aiyomama in this nostalgic performance, and shares stories about the music scene from the good ol’ times!
Thursday 21 & Friday 22 February – 8pm – Esplanade Annexe Studio
Tickets: $30
Painted Skin – An Opera in Concert
An exciting fusion of Western operatic style and Peking Opera elements, Painted Skin – An Opera in Concert is an ambitious adaptation of the classic Chinese short story from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling. Presented as an opera in concert, a dramatic narrative unfolds, revealing an inner world of greed, lust and hypocrisy concealed under the glamorous veneers that humans wear.
Saturday 23 Feb – 7.30pm – Esplanade Concert Hall
Tickets: from $38 to $88
Concessions for students, NSFs and seniors: $30, $46
in:music – Julia Wu “1994”
Rising R&B star Julia Wu may only be 24 but she is a force to be reckoned with as she sets the Mandopop music industry alight with her soulful voice and versatile musicality. A seasoned performer with over 10 years of classical music training, the Australian-born Chinese was determined to do music her way and graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, majoring in piano. Her individuality and talent has caught the eyes of many, leading to collaborations with Vanness Wu and PoeTek.
Saturday 3 February – 4pm – Esplanade Annexe Studio
Tickets: $30
in::music – Yoyo Sham “Nothing is Under Control”
Like how plants need the sun, this concrete jungle craves for a voice of comfort to soothe the pressures of a busy city. And the sound of Yoyo Sham is exactly what this urban generation needs.
Saturday 23 February – 8pm – Esplanade Annexe Studio
Tickets: $30
in::music – The Freshman “What The Youth?!”
You are never too old to feel young! Throw all inhibitions away and be rejuvenated in the presence of the true source of youthfulness — music from The Freshman.
Sunday 24 February – 4pm – Esplanade Annexe Studio
Tickets: SOLD OUT
in::music – Wonfu Love Songs
Love songs with a dash of positivity—that’s the Wonfu vibe we all adore!
Sunday 24 February – 8pm – Esplanade Annexe Studio
Tickets: $30
Dance
Vocal and Dance Masterclass by Bulareyaung Pagarlava
Conducted by acclaimed choreographer Bulareyaung Pagarlava and his team of instructors, this vocal and dance masterclass teaches participants the basics of vocal projection and diaphragmatic breathing used in Taiwanese indigenous music and dance. Based on Bulareyaung Dance Company’s repertoire and development, participants will get to experience contemporary dance inspired by Taiwanese indigenous arts.
Sunday 17 February – 11am – Esplanade Rehearsal Studio
Tickets: $20
That Which Cannot Be Divided
That Which Cannot Be Divided is an Esplanade commissioned dance presentation that explores the mystery of prime numbers and their relation to life. Featuring two former members of Taiwan’s distinguished Cloud Gate Dance Theatre—renowned choreographers Bulareyaung Pagarlava from Taiwan and Albert Tiong from Singapore— the dance double-bill showcases two diverse works full of boundless possibilities.
Friday 22 & Saturday 24 Feb – 8pm/ Sunday: 3pm – Esplanade Theatre Studio
Tickets: $38
Concessions for students, NSFs and seniors: $27
FAMILY
Parent-Child Workshop: Dance Together!
Let’s move to the beat! Learn the basics of Chinese dance and move together as a family in this fun and interactive workshop. No experience needed for this introductory class!
Saturday 3 Februari – 2pm: Conducted in Mandarin/4.30pm: Conducted in English – Esplanade Rehearsal Studio
for ages 3 to 6 with accompanying adult. Accompanying adult must be above 16 years old.Tickaets: : $30 (1 adult + 1 child)
Parent-Child Workshop: Everyone Can Act!
Do you know the story of Chinese New Year? A long time ago, there was a beast named Nian. Every Chinese New Year, it will come down from the mountains to scare the villagers. The villagers must work together to send Nian away for a peaceful year! Will they succeed?
Sunday 24 February – 1.30pm & 4.30pm – Esplanade Rehearsal Studio
Tickets: SOLD OUT
