Most of us would be almost relieved to bid the Year of the Rat goodbye while hoping for better things to come in the brand new Year of the Ox. As we present the 19^th edition of Huayi from 19 Feb to 14 Mar 2021, we invite all of you into our artists’ worlds and creations. Many of these works were developed during the pandemic when there was new impetus to innovate, challenge and develop ideas.

During these challenging times, Esplanade remains committed to supporting and working with Singapore artists and has commissioned six new works to be presented in Huayi 2021. These include Nanyin concert Fantasia presented in celebration of Siong Leng Musical Association’s 80th anniversary; puppetry theatre production The Universe According to Niu by Paper Monkey Theatre, and more.

Audiences can also look forward to new collaborations between artists in Singapore and overseas. For instance, Singapore’s chamber music ensembles re: mix and Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra String Ensemble will be performing celebrated Chinese composer Huang Ruo’s A Dust in Time, which was written as a response to the ongoing pandemic.

May these programmes inspire and touch all of you, while injecting much positivity to start the new lunar year.