The Macao Orchestra (OM) under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau was invited to participate in the 12th edition of the music festival “La Folle Journée au Japon 2016”, held in Tokyo, Japan, from 1 to 5 May, introducing Macao’s musical arts and culture to the Japanese audience for the first time.
“La Folle Journée au Japon” is a popular music festival in Tokyo, adopting a different theme each year and featuring over 200 varied concerts held during three consecutive days. The festival has already become a major musical event in Japan during the month of May. The theme of this year’s festival is “Nature”. The OM, led by its Music Director and Principal Conductor, Lü Jia, presents four concerts on 3 and 4 May, on the chosen theme at the Tokyo International Forum, during two consecutive days, joining hands with Russian violinist Dmitri Makhtin and Japanese soprano Rie Hamada.
Upon its arrival in Tokyo, the OM promptly started rehearsing in order to present high-level performances in all four concerts. Following the European tour held last September, the Orchestra continues to perform abroad, promoting cooperation and exchange with several Japanese musicians. The programme of the concerts was specially selected for the young Japanese audience, including pieces such as Summer Nights by Hector Berlioz and the symphonic poems The Wild Dove and Cypresses by Antonín Dvořák, among others. During this tour, the OM continues to play its role of Macao’s cultural ambassador, visiting Rikkyo University in order to promote musical exchange, thereby contributing to the development of the cooperation and exchange between the two territories.
