Macao International Music Festival – Music October
A Fruitful Autumn
With a history of more than 30 years, the Macao International Music Festival has been implementing the philosophy of “connecting the world through music and making it a better place”. Since the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, connection and communication with the world through music have become more important. As many parts of the globe is still living in the shadow of the pandemic, we need music more than ever to heal our hearts and get through the gloom.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of French composer Saint-Saëns’ death and the 110th anniversary of Austrian composer and conductor Mahler’s death, the Festival will present Tribute to the Classics – Piano Trio to Commemorate the Centenary of Saint-Saëns’ Death. Violinist Chen Xi, cellist Zhu Mu and pianist Jaya Sun will perform Piano Trio No. 2 by Saint-Saëns and Piano Trio by Russian composer Tchaikovsky. The trio of piano, violin and cello, a common form of chamber music, is like a fascinating conversation among friends with different talents and personalities. Saint-Saens’ delightful presentation and Tchaikovsky’s poignant expression will allow the audience to fully experience the musical style of Romanticism. The Macao Orchestra will team up with Liu Ming, a promising violin star and two-time winner of Nestlé Cup – Young Musician Award at the Beijing Music Festival, for a performance of Violin Concerto No. 3 by Saint-Saëns. The Macao Orchestra will also present Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, taking urban dwellers long besieged in the city to wander in pastoral sceneries.
Mahler had been exploring life and death throughout his life and adapted these eternal themes in his compositions. Bass-baritone Shenyang, winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World and who has been acclaimed as “one in a million”, together with four young instrumentalists will present Mahler’s classical art songs and his only surviving chamber piece.
This year’s Festival will feature 11 programmes and 7 outreach programmes by Chinese artists and local emerging musicians. Renowned pianist Chen Sa, hailed as “one of the brightest performers of her generation”, will perform sonatas by Beethoven and miniatures by Schumann, works from the classical and romantic periods. Six local rising stars will showcase their talents in Bravo Macao!
Macao aims to develop as “a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist”. Traditional Chinese musicians from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will present Contemporary Meets Tradition – Cantonese Music Assembly, a performance combining traditional Cantonese music with newly arranged contemporary pieces and singing. Led by National First Class Conductor Liu Ju, The Macao Chinese Orchestra, violinist Xie Nan and guzheng player Su Chang will interpret Violin Concerto The Butterfly Lovers, Guzheng Concerto Ru Shi, and The Sisters’ Islands – a piece of Nanyang-inspired Chinese music composed by Wang Chenwei. The Congjiang Ethnic Art Troupe from Guizhou Province will bring to Macao a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage – the Grand Song of the Dong Ethnic Group. The Grand Song refers to the Dong people’s multi-part choral singing performed without a conductor, accompaniment or score. In the past, it could only be performed in front of iconic buildings of the Dong ethnic group during major festivals or to welcome guests. We are grateful to have the opportunity to listen to this fantastic singing in Macao.
There is a popular saying among the Dong people in Guizhou: “Rice nourishes the body and songs nourish the soul”. Food provides essential nutrients for our body while music provides mental nutrients for our spirit. Both are our daily necessities. To enjoy the best of autumn, let us go outdoors to the FIMM-tastic Weekend: Music and Movie Nights. For three consecutive nights at Tap Siac Square, there will be screenings of London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle on Big Screen, Fado on Big Screen: Cuca Roseta “MEU” – a concert specially recorded for this Festival by the famous Portuguese fado singer, and three music themed films. What is better than enjoying great films and music under the starry night in autumn?
Wish you all a prosperous and happy autumn!
Mok Ian Ian
President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government