The picks of the Singapore Sun Festival

It's ten full days of world-class performances by the world’s leading musicians plus literary workshops, gourmet cooking classes, lavish exhibitions, wellness sessions, yoga, taiji, and screenings of some of Singapore's best-loved films.

With so much going on, we've made it easy pick the 5 best events from the Singapore Sun Festival 2009.

Opening Performance: International Ballet Gala

Opening for the Singapore Sun Festival 2009 will be the world premiere of the International Ballet Gala. Some of the biggest names in ballet will be performing in this collaboration -- from the Bolshoi Theatre: Maria Alexandrova, Dmitry Gudanov, Marianna Ryzhkina, Dmitry Belogolovtsev, from the Mariinsky Theatre: Vladimir Shklyarov, Viktoria Tereshkina, Yevgenia Obraztsova, Mikhail Lobukhin and from the American Ballet Theatre: Maxim Beloserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko.

October 3, 7.30 pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore

Elvis Costello: A Solo Performance

Famous for his versatility and longevity as a singer, composer and award-winning musician, Elvis Costello's solo show is sure to be a don’t-miss opportunity to see and hear one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of our time. He is set to perform some of his greatest hits in this one-night-only concert.

October 5, 7.30 pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore

Joan Chen: In Conversation

Get up close and personal with Joan Chen in this exclusive on-stage interview. The film star and director will reflect on her career and talk in-depth about the many films she’s been involved in, as well as discuss the challenges of acting and directing in Hollywood and in Asia. The session will be presented by Ben Slater, a Singapore-based film critic, lecturer, curator and screenwriter.

October 4, 3pm – 5pm at the Singapore Airlines Theatre, Basement 1, Lasalle College of the Arts, 1 McNally Street, Singapore

Al Jarreau Live

Five-time Grammy Award winning artist Al Jarreau will perform classics such as "We’re In This Love Together," "Take Five," "Roof Garden" and "Boogie Down" during his concert in Singapore. One of the few artists to win Grammys in the three categories of jazz, pop and R&B, Al has been performing since the tender age of four and is well known for his spontaneous performance style and soulful lyrics.

October 6, 7.30 pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore

Sunday Afternoon with Deepak Chopra

Known as “the poet-prophet of alternative medicine” Deepak Chopra has been credited by TIME Magazine as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century as well as one of the most lucid and inspired philosophers of our time. Share an inspirational moment with one of the world’s leading authors and gurus as he discusses some of the fundamental questions of life and how it relates to cognition, moods and emotions, perception, behaviors, biology, social interactions, personal relationships, environment and the forces of nature.

October 4, 2pm - 5pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore

Check out www.singaporesunfestival.com for event details. Tickets available from Sistic.