Dear members of the media:

I would like to welcome you to this press conference for the 18^th Macao International Music Festival.

The 18^th Macao International Music Festival, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, will be held from the 8^th to the 31^st of October. The 24-day festival has adopted the theme "Golden Melodies, Romantic Macao¡¨ and will offer fifteen programmes in a total of twenty performances featuring top music groups and artists from China and abroad.

As Macao moves into a new age of prosperity, its defining characteristic¡Xa multiculturalism formed by four hundred years of blending and exchange between Chinese and western culture¡Xhas taken on a fresh, new glow. In keeping with this characteristic, this year's Macao International Music Festival will yet again seek to open new frontiers in the mixed presentation of oriental and western music, classical and contemporary, international and ethnic, whilst maintaining the same high quality standard. Be it a great opera, a superb choral performance or exquisite chamber music, each item on the programme has passed through a careful selection process. This year's Macao International Music Festival has brought together world renowned French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Japanese violinist Akiko Suwanai, Portuguese jazz group Maria Joao and Mario Laginha, and internationally renowned Chinese baritone Liao Chang Yang, as well as several other bright stars of the international music scene. Audiences are sure to enjoy hearing these performers.

Over the years, the festival's opera programme has won enthusiastic praise from the public. The tradition of offering a great opera during the festival is being continued. This year's opera is the most popular operatic version of Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet¡¨¡XCharles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. The Opera de Nice (France) is assisting with the sets, costumes and lighting, thereby assuring that audiences will be able to fully experience the European charm of Gounod¡¦s work. This year also marks the first time that the Macao Orchestra will be playing in the festival's opera performance.

While opera remains the centrepiece of the festival, this year we have sought to infuse even greater novelty and variety into our programme by drawing¡Xfor the very first time¡Xfrom the American stage. This foray has resulted in our bringing the Broadway musical Chicago to the stage. Musicals flourished throughout the entire 20^th century and are still enjoyed by a wide public. However, due to the huge scale and investment involved in production, Macao audiences have not yet been able see a Broadway musical in their own city. Now, after nearly two years of painstaking preparation, the Cultural Affairs Bureau¡Xtogether with the well-known U.S. company Barkley Kalpak Productions, Inc.¡Xwill present a major musical. Chicago, one of the major events on offer during this year's festival, will provide a refreshing artistic experience. The musical's production in Macao will also constitute an initial probe into future development of the territory's cultural market.

While the primary focus of the 18^th Macao International Music Festival is classical music, the organisers have also sought to offer events that will appeal to popular music lovers of various ages. Basing their selection on taste and quality, the festival has invited Hong Kong¡¦s leading lady of song, Frances Yip, to perform classical Mandarin and Cantonese songs with the Macao Chinese Orchestra. The Ding Sisters, talented singers much loved by young people, will also perform at the Ruins of St Paul's. In addition, the American 60's and 70's singing star Peter Yarrow of the iconic group Peter, Paul and Mary will sing his thoughts on love and life, taking us back to a simpler, more idealistic time.

Some people say that architecture is music in motion. Over the years, Macao's rich architectural heritage has constituted an inexhaustible and treasured resource for the Macao International Music Festival. As this is the Year of Cultural Heritage Preservation in Macao, historical fortresses, public squares and churches will play an even greater role during the music festival, providing audiences the opportunity to experience the unique combination of music and historical architecture. In response to audience demand, tickets for church performances will be sold at the symbolic price of MOP$30, with proceeds being used for the repair and protection of religious artefacts.

The Macao International Music Festival aims to attract audiences from Hong Kong, Mainland China and abroad. Under the ¡¡±9+2¡¨ regional cooperation framework, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government has increased promotion toward mainland China and Hong Kong, and has also obtained strong support and assistance from the China National Radio, Canton Radio¡¦s The Voice of Music, Zhuhai Economic Radio, Guangzhou Daily, and the Hong Kong Metro Broadcast Corporation, each of which has agreed to promote the music festival to their respective audience base. The Macao Government Tourist Office is also disseminating information about the festival internationally through its thirteen overseas offices. I would like to take this opportunity to express the Cultural Affairs Bureau's sincere gratitude to all those that have helped promote the music festival. In particular, I would like to express our gratitude to three individuals who are attending today¡¦s press conference for all the help they and their organisations have provided: the director of Canton Radio, Ms. Bai Ling; the CEO of Hong Kong Metro Broadcast Corporation, Mr. Kam Kwok Leung; and the Deputy Director of the Macao Government Tourist Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.

I wish to communicate to the members of the press the Cultural Affairs Bureau's conviction that Macao is entering a future of flourishing development. We will strive to use cultural activities as a means to improve the quality of life and cultural understanding of Macao residents. We will also continue to organise various workshops and master classes during the Macao International Music Festival in the aim of advancing Macao¡¦s international ties and advancing cultural promotion and education. I hope the 18^th Macao International Music Festival will not only be a pleasurable and fulfilling experience for a wide audience, but also represent a large-scale gathering of music lovers that will constitute a forerunner to future cultural development in the city.

The success of the Macao International Music Festival very much depends upon the staunch support and active reporting of each member of the press. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you in advance for your valued assistance. Thank you.