The 32nd Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will be held from 28 September to 28 October. This edition of the MIMF is themed “Enjoy – The Moment in music” and offers 16 programmes in a total of 22 excellent performances, hoping that the audience will seize the moment and feel the joy and fulfilment that music brings to the soul, thereby drawing people together.
Timeless L’Elisir D’Amore opens the Festival; sounds of romantic poetry bring the MIMF to a close
On occasion of the 170th anniversary of the death of composer Gaetano Donizetti, this edition of the MIMF kicks off with the timeless opera L’Elisir D’Amore by the Zurich Opera House. The internationally renowned German Director Grischa Asagaroff, enlightening the audience about the magical power of love amidst the magnificent music. The Festival comes to a close with two concerts by the Staatskapelle Dresden, one of the world’s top ten orchestras boasting a history of over 400 years, and conductor Christian Thielemann, who join hands to interpret Schumann’s complete symphonies, thereby presenting in full masterpieces of the most romantic German composer of the 19th century and delivering the romantic poetry of a generation of outstanding musicians.
Melodious music, outstanding skills and classics in quick succession
World-renowned family quartets take to the stage one after the other. The Hagen Quartet from Salzburg offers a concert comprised of German and Austrian classics and allows music fans to have a glimpse of the evolution of the string quartet through this fantastic music journey. The quartet Los Romero, known as “The Royal Family of the Guitar”, is made up of three generations of the same family, whose high skills are based on a profound family connection. Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander takes to the stage with his trio to present A Life in Jazz and interpret passionate and lively jazz songs. British choir Stile Antico, working without a conductor but under a seamless rapport, presents the concert Queen of Muses which features a selection of British Renaissance music composed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I; the same ensemble further offers the concert Tenebrae Responsories, taking the audience on a journey of sacred Catholic music by Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria. Combining the rumba flamenco with Portuguese fado, the Portuguese ensemble Sangre Ibérico offers the public a night of Latin music in the concert Portugal Meets Spain.
In order to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, the MIMF shows his witty humour with the opera Il Signor Bruschino. The Camerata Salzburg, hailing from Mozart’s hometown, joins hands with acclaimed French violinist Renaud Capuçon to present two of Mozart’s extraordinary violin concertos and two very different symphonies by Haydn. The renowned Brazilian cellist António Meneses comes to Macao to present a sophisticated repertoire, including Bach’s Cello Suite, the ultimate test for any cellist.
East and West music dialogues; showcase of local talents
The Music Director of the Macao Orchestra Lu Jia will join hands with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra to present Anton Bruckner’s magnum opus Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, specially adopting the long-buried original version (1887). Famed conductor Liu Sha leads the Macao Chinese Orchestra and joins hands with Guo Yazhi, a legend in the suona circle of China, to present Nostalgic Lane, offering the audience a whole new perspective in the appreciation of suona and Chinese music. The Guangdong National Orchestra presents Cantonese Rhyme along the Silk Road and takes the audience on an epic journey across the maritime silk road filled with magnificent sea views and soul-stirring images of history. Two distinctive electronic music bands, EVADE from Macao and FM3 from Beijing, bring a night of hypnotizing sounds in Electronic Sparks. In addition, the special concert Bravo Macao! brings to the stage and reveals the talent of two young local percussionists, Hoi Lei Lei and Raymond Vong.
Special launch of the drink “Elixir of Love”; tickets on sale from 5 August
In conjunction with the opening performance L’Elisir D’Amore, this edition of the MIMF invited the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) to offer the special drink “Elixir of Love”, which will be available for sale at IFT’s Educational Restaurant from September for a limited period of time, allowing music fans not only to have a visual and audio experience in love when enjoying the performances but also taste the magical power of the special drink. Tickets for the 32nd Macao International Music Festival will be on sale from 10am on 5 August (Sunday) at the Macau Ticketing Network; telephone and online bookings are available from 12pm on the same day. On the first day of ticket sales, ticket purchases are limited to a maximum of 10 tickets per performance per person. Early bird discount of 30% will be offered when buying tickets between 5 and 12 August, and a 20% discount will be offered when buying tickets on or after 13 August, subject to certain criteria. Holders of BOC Credit Card or BOC Card may also enjoy a 30% discount on tickets for the opening performance L’Elisir D’Amore and the concert Christian Thielemann and Staatskapelle Dresden. A 20% discount will be offered in the purchase of tickets for all other shows for holders of designated credit cards. A 50% discount will be offered for holders of Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card. Air Macau customers can enjoy a 20% discount on ticket purchases at the Macau Ticketing Network outlets by presenting their respective boarding pass (flight code NX) within 7 days upon their arrival in Macao. For every ticket purchase over MOP1,000 (net price calculated after discounts), purchasers will receive a “buy 1 get 1 free” voucher for Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets. For every ticket purchase over MOP500, purchasers will receive one 30% F&B coupon which can be redeemed when dining at selected restaurants in Sands Resorts Macao.
This edition of the MIMF is supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office, TDM – Teledifusão de Macao, Air Macau, the Sands Resorts Macao, and has Cotai Water Jet as the official ferry company, with acknowledgement to Institute for Tourism Studies. For more details about the programme and offers, please visit the Festival’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm. For enquiries, please call 8399 6699 during office hours. 24-hour ticketing hotlines: 2855 5555 (Macao), 2380 5083 (Hong Kong) and 139 269 11111 (Mainland China). Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.
The press conference of the 32nd MIMF was held on 24 July, at 3:30pm, at the conference room of the Macao Cultural Centre. The press conference was attended by the Acting President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ieong Chi Kin; the Acting Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Cheng Wai Tong; general Manager of Public Relations Division of Air Macau Company Limited, Zhao Hong, Kenneth; the Associate Director of Community Affairs of Sands China Ltd., Annie Lam; the Deputy General Manager of Personal Banking and Channel Management Department of the Bank of China (Macau Branch), Ngan Iek Hang, Billy; the Acting Vice Director of the Tourism College of the Institute for Tourism Studies, Connie Loi; the Manager of Production Department of Teledifusão de Macau (TDM), Leong Chon Wa; the Senior Marketing Manager of Cotai Water Jet, Cheng Ka Chun, Kenneth; the Head of the Department of Performing Arts Development of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Iu Wai Man; and the Head of the Division of Performing Arts of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Lei Lo Heng.
