Author: Angela Miho

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents “Valentine’s Day Concert – The Phantom of Love” filled with the combination of modern movies and musical on the eve of Valentine’s Day, 10 February, at 8pm, at The Venetian Theatre. Under the baton of Assistant Conductor of the Macao Orchestra, Francis Kan, the Macao Orchestra will join hands with Portuguese soprano Sofia Escobar and renowned young Chinese tenor Li Yi to present beautiful melodies of moving and extraordinary movies and musical. Tickets are available at the Macau Ticketing Network from 7 January, and an early bird 40% discount will be available, subject to certain criteria, between 7-20 January. Further announcement will be made for the ticket sales at all Cotai Ticketing box offices. This concert venue is supported by The Venetian® Macao.

The “Valentine’s Day Concert – The Phantom of Love” features a series of wonderful musical pieces of classical love movies and musical, including Aladdin, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and The Phantom of the Opera, among others. In the concert, the Portuguese soprano Sofia Escobar, who has been active in Europe and has played the protagonist of musical numerous times, will collaborate with the young Chinese tenor Li Yi, who was acclaimed as “an exceptional vocalist with a strong voice, even in its highest range” by The New York Times. On the eve of Valentine’s Day, the Macao Orchestra will lead the music aficionados to enjoy these classical scores and to have a remarkable experience of love again.

Tickets for the “Valentine’s Day Concert – The Phantom of Love” are available on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network from 7 January and are priced at MOP300, MOP200 and MOP100. Early bird discount of 40% will be offered when buying tickets between 7 to 20 Janurary subject to certain criteria. Reservations are also available through the webpage www.macauticket.com and through tel. (853) 2855 5555. Further announcement will be made for the ticket sales at all Cotai Ticketing box offices. For updated information, please visit OM’s official website or the Cotai Ticketing website www.cotaiticketing.com. For details and programme enquiries, please contact OM through (853) 2853 0782 during office hours or visit the OM’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presented the concert “Starry Vienna – New Year Concert” on 30 December, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Under the baton of renowned German conductor Johannes Fritzsch, the concert offered music aficionados a Viennese musical feast of the Strauss family in a jubilant and festive atmosphere.

OM’s “Starry Vienna – New Year Concert” has become one of the major music events in Macao. This year, prominent conductor Johannes Fritzsch joined hands with soprano Yuanming Song to present a concert filled with joyous melodies. The concert also featured a cocktail party, a photography activity and the distribution of delicate souvenirs, offering the audience an unforgettable experience.

In addition, the Macao Orchestra will present the concert “Piano Giant” on 20 January 2018, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, providing the audience a magnificent performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major by recognized Beethoven specialist Stefan Vladar. Tickets for the concert “Piano Giant” are now on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network and are priced at MOP250, MOP200 and MOP150. Holders of BOC Credit Card or BOC Card may enjoy an exclusive discount of 30% on ticket purchases. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

Classical music does not obey to time or space restrictions. The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, breaks away from the traditional concert halls and presents two concerts in different cultural venues, namely at the Tap Seac Gallery on 1 December, at 6:30pm and at the Oriental Foundation on 2 December, at 4pm, performing pieces for string ensemble with a refined and meticulous technique. Admission is free and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

OM’s concert series “Music for All” is devoted to spreading music’s seeds throughout the community. The concert “Music in the Tap Seac Gallery” will be held on 1 December at the distinctive historic Tap Seac Gallery, one of the architectural complexes and sites in that area. On 2 December, OM presents the concert “World Heritage Imagery” at the Oriental Foundation for the first time, installed in a villa built in the 1770’s, which was originally the residence of Portuguese nobleman Manuel Pereira. The concert’s programme features Haydn’s Divertimento in D Major and Boccherini’s Six Duets for two Violins in G Major, among others. The sounds of beautiful melodies filling a world heritage building of great cultural value allow the audience to have a unique experience.

Admission to these two concerts is free. For details and enquiries about the concerts’ programmes, please call IC through tel. no. 2853 0782, during office hours, or visit OM’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

To welcome the New Year of 2018, the Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the annual concert “Starry Vienna – New Year Concert”, to be held on Saturday 30 December, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Tickets are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network.

A Viennese musical feast of the Strauss family has become a New Year tradition for the whole world. This year, under the baton of renowned German conductor Johannes Fritzsch, the Macao Orchestra will join hands with soprano Yuanming Song to offer the audience the rich and colourful “Sound of Vienna”. Full of cheerful notes, the concert will be held in a venue full of festive decorations, allowing the audience to feel as if they were in an actual concert in Vienna. In addition to traditional Viennese New Year music, the Orchestra will perform operatic excerpts by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Emmerich Kálmán, complementing this musical feast with a flavour of exoticism. This concert is surely a musical gala that must not be missed!

Tickets for the concert “Starry Vienna – New Year Concert” are now on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network and are priced at MOP400, MOP350, MOP250 and MOP150. Holders of BOC Credit Card or BOC Card may enjoy an exclusive discount of 30% on ticket purchases. Ticketing hotlines: 2855 5555. For details and programme enquiries, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the concert “In Love with Scotland” on Friday, 24 November, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church. Under the baton of OM’s Assistant Conductor Francis Kan, the concert features two well-known pieces by renowned composer of the Romantic period Felix Mendelssohn. Admission to the concert is free.

Felix Mendelssohn, a classical composer of the Romantic period, combined the classical tradition with romanticism in his works, showing his solid compositional skills and a sense of innovation in tune with the zeitgeist of the time. His extensive travels and performances throughout Europe contributed to poetic portrayal in his compositions, one of his well-known musical characteristics. This concert features two virtuoso works of the composer, namely Overture to The Hebrides, “Fingal’s Cave” and Symphony No. 3, “Scottish”, works which not only vividly express his appreciation for the distinct natural beauty of Scotland but also reflect his unique musical style and personal spirit and taste.

Admission to the concert “In Love with Scotland” is free. Tickets will be distributed at St. Dominic’s Church one hour prior to the performance, on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to a maximum of two tickets per person. For details and enquiries about the concert, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 or visit the Macao Orchestra webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presented three concerts dedicated to Sibelius at the Auditorium of the Macao Polytechnic Institute, the Student Activity Centre of the University of Macau and the auditorium of the library building of the Macau University of Science and Technology on 15, 17 and 18 November 2017, respectively. The concerts were conducted and explained by OM Assistant Conductor, Francis Kan, in an effort to promote artistic education and the diffusion of classical music close by teachers and students of tertiary education institutions.

The three concerts entitled “University Concert – The Realm of Sibelius” were conducted by Assistant Conductor Francis Kan, who led a number of musicians to present a programme dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, specially designed for teachers and students, featuring several elegant musical pieces such as Legends, Op. 22, II. The Swan of Tuonela, Andante Festivo, and the Suite Pélleas et Mélisande, Op. 46 (excerpts), among others. In addition to the musical performances, Conductor Francis Kan introduced Sibelius’ musical style and historical background. The concerts counted with an active participation of teachers and students.

OM has been committed to musical education and its promotion close by the community through creative elements and a variety of activities, launching a series of educational concerts such as concerts in primary schools and kindergartens to be held in late November. The concerts are specially designed in a targeted manner with a combination of vivid explanations designed to cultivate students’ interest and their ability to appreciate classical music.

Primary and secondary schools interested in OM’s educational concerts may obtain more information by contacting the Orchestra through tel. no. 8399 6481, during office hours.

The Macao Orchestra, (OM from Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present the concert “The Mysterious Edward Elgar” on Friday, 3 November, at 8pm, at the St. Dominic’s Church. Young local conductor Lio Kuokman, an emerging talent in the international music circles in recent years, was invited to interpret a number of outstanding musical pieces by British composer Edward Elgar. Admission is free. All are welcome.

Edward Elgar was one of the internationally influential composers in the British music circle in the 19th and 20th century, he initiated the English Musical Renaissance in the 20th century. His orchestral works are particularly outstanding among his composition repertoire.

This concert, under the baton of the prominent local musician Lio Kuokman, who has been acclaimed as‘a startling conducting talent’’ by the media from the United States, features a number of musical pieces such as the popular work of Elgar Enigma Variations, and other delicate musical works, namely Mina, Chanson de Nuit, Chanson de Matin, and The Wand of Youth which reminisce the composer’s childhood memories.

Admission to the concert “The Mysterious Edward Elgar” is free. Tickets will be distributed at St. Dominic’s Church one hour prior to the performance. Distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to a maximum of two tickets per person. For details and enquiries about the programme, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours or visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

To celebrate its anniversary with music lovers, the Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presented the concert “Along with the musical joy – Annual gala and gathering” on the evening of 25 October, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. A cocktail reception was held after the concert and the atmosphere was lively and cheerful.

Since its inception, the OM has now developed into a medium-sized orchestra comprising of more than 60 outstanding young musicians from over 10 different countries and regions. It has also become one of the distinguished symphony orchestras in Asia, playing an important role in the music and cultural life of both Macao residents and overseas audiences. On the occasion of its 34th anniversary, OM celebrated this musical feast at the Dom Pedro V Theatre, featuring a number of musical pieces specially arranged by the musicians, including Haydn’s London Trios, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Italian Concerto and Vivaldi’s Concerto for Oboe and Bassoon in G minor, RV. 545. After the concert, a cocktail party was served at the Mirror Hall of the Theatre, where musicians and music lovers exchanged views and shared their musical tastes. The 2017-18 Concert Season is themed “Along with the musical joy” and features a glorious combination between internationally renowned musicians and the OM, bringing wonderful musical moments for music lovers.

After this event, the OM will present the concert “Chamber Music．Conversing” on 10 November, at 8pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. Tickets for the concert are now available for sale at the Macau Ticketing Network and are priced at MOP120 and MOP100, with various discount packages available. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please visit Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

The Macao Orchestra (OM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the chamber music concert “Chamber Music．Conversing” at the Dom Pedro V Theatre on Friday, 10 November, at 8pm, featuring three pieces of chamber music from the Classical Period. Tickets are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network.

The Austrian classicist composer Joseph Haydn achieved great success and gained a wide international reputation in the 1770s. The programme of this concert features the Serenade for Strings in F Major, with amicable and refreshing music, is one of the most well-known quartet compositions of all time. The other two symphonic pieces, the Wind Quintet in B-flat Major by German composer Franz Danzi and the String Quintet No.4 in G minor by Mozart, fully demonstrate the flourishing development of wind and string quintets in chamber music. In contrast to the grandeur of symphonies and the brilliance of solo music, these three pieces of chamber music with different styles are presented in a collaborative and interactive way, but are equal and independent of each other at the same time. All classical music lovers are invited to join the concert and appreciate the high performance skills and artistic attainments of these chamber musicians.

Tickets for the music concert “Chamber Music．Conversing” are priced at MOP120 and MOP100, with various discount packages available. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For more information about the programme, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, kicks off its 2017-2018 Concert Season in September with the opening concert “Kyung Wha Chung and the Macao Orchestra”, to be held on 2 September (Saturday), at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Internationally renowned as the queen of the violin, South-Korean violinist Kyung Wha Chung joins hands with the OM to present a much-anticipated season opening concert. Tickets are on sale from today onwards at the Macau Ticketing Network, and an early bird 40% discount on tickets is available until 31 August, subject to certain criteria.

The new season is themed “Along with the musical joy” and features a glorious combination between internationally renowned musicians and the OM, as will be the case in the opening concert. Kyung Wha Chung grew up in a musical environment and was acclaimed early on as a musical prodigy; at only 19 years old she was crowned the “new queen of the violin of the modern age”. The programme of the season opening concert, under the baton of the Music Director of the Macao Orchestra Lu Jia, features timeless pieces by two great composers, namely Beethoven’s Violin concerto in D Major and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor. Germany and Austria both have a long history and rich culture when it comes to music. In the world of German and Austrian classical music, Beethoven and Brahms are certainly the two most representative and accomplished icons. Both pieces boast a strong lyricism and softness, kicking off the new season in the best way.

Tickets for the 2017-18 Concert Season opening concert “Kyung Wha Chung and the Macao Orchestra” are available at the prices of MOP400, 350, 250 e 150. From today until 31 August, 40% early bird discounts on tickets are available from today for two or more persons who purchase tickets for two different concerts at the same time, or on tickets for all concerts for holders of Macao Orchestra Friends Card; for other discounts, please refer to the new season’s booklet, which may be obtained free of charge at all Macau Ticketing Network outlets; the electronic version may also be downloaded at OM’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om. For more information and enquiries on the programme, please call OM through tel. number 2853 0782 during office hours. 24-hours ticketing hotline: 2855 5555; ticket reservation website: www.macauticket.com.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presented the “2016-17 Season Closing Concert ─ Eine florentinische Tragödie, on Saturday, 29 July, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, counting on the support of a great number of music enthusiasts. The concert also featured the eternal masterpiece Songs of a Wayfarer by Gustav Mahler, closing the concert season with the sound of resounding applause.

This closing concert features the staged version of renowned opera Eine florentinische Tragödie by Alexander von Zemlinsky. This opera, based on a never-completed play by the composer Oscar Wilde, is set during the Renaissance period and narrates the love and hatred story between a wealthy merchant and a nobleman. The thrilling and tense plot of the staged version of this one-act opera were highlighted by OM’s performance under the baton of the Music Director and Principal Conductor, Lu Jia. The concert also presented Gustav Mahler’s romantic work Songs of a Wayfarer, which described the youth’s expectation for love but ended in great disappointments. The entrancing melodies of two musical pieces as well as the sincere interpretation of the singers and the Orchestra left the audience enraptured. In addition, in order to allow the public to know more about the opera’s plot, Conductor Lu Jia personally presented an introduction to this work to the audience before the concert.

Macao Orchestra’s 2017-18 Concert Season will kick off in September, featuring over 50 extraordinary programmes. Tickets are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network. An early bird 40% discount is offered before 31 August, subject to certain criteria. For more information about the ticket discounts, please refer to the new Concert Season’s booklet, which can be obtained at the Macau Ticketing Network outlets for free. The electronic version can be downloaded on OM’s website www.icm.gov.mo/om. For more information and enquiries about the programme, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782, during office hours. 24-hours ticketing hotline: 2855 5555; online ticket reservation is available at www.macauticket.com.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the “2016-17 Season Closing Concert ─ Eine florentinische Tragödie”, on Saturday, 29 July, at 8pm at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, featuring the staged version of renowned opera Eine florentinische Tragödie by Alexander von Zemlinsky, as well as the eternal masterpiece Songs of a Wayfarer by Gustav Mahler, a great composer of the Post-Romantic Era. Under the baton of the Music Director of the Macao Orchestra, Lu Jia, the concert also features young singers from the United States and South Korea. Tickets are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network.

Before the concert, an activity “Introduction to Opera” will be held from 7pm to 7:30pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Conference Room, where Lu Jia will personally analyse some highlights of the opera. Interested parties can register through Macao Orchestra’s official WeChat account. Seats are limited, subject to availability.

Eine florentinische Tragödie is an opera in one act by Alexander von Zemlinsky to a libretto adapted by the composer Oscar Wilde’s unfinished play. It is also the most popular and most frequently performed opera. This opera narrates the story of a merchant who finds his wife has a lover, ends up killing the latter in a duel. It is then that the wife finally understands her husband’s deep love for her, but tragedy is already inevitable. The thrilling and highly tense plot combined with refined romantic music make this opera exceptional, which no music fans will want to miss. The post-Romantic Austrian composer, Gustav Mahler, was celebrated for his symphonies. His work Songs of a Wayfarer, to be presented in this concert, was written in the late 1880s, and is known as the favourite masterpiece of the Post-Romantic Era. The concert features young talented Korean singers – soprano Myung-Joo Lee and baritones Paul Kong and Seung Min Seong – and tenor Erik Nelson Werner from the United States, whose brilliant performances will successfully close this concert season of the Macao Orchestra.

Tickets for the concert “2016-17 Season Closing Concert – Eine florentinische Tragödie” are priced at MOP400, MOP350, MOP250 and MOP150. Holders of Bank of China Multi-Currency Credit Card or Bank of China Card can enjoy an exclusive discount of 30%. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours or visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

Cooperating once again with the Macao Science Centre, the Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the concerts “Science and Music Festival” on 15 July (Saturday), to be held at 3pm and 4:30pm. The concerts will be visually and acoustically appealing by combining interesting scientific knowledge and classical music elements, offering the children a sensational show. All interested parties are welcome to attend the concerts for free by presenting the Macao Science Centre Exhibition Centre ticket issued in the same day.

The concerts “Science and Music Festival” will take the public on a musical journey entitled “The Musical Train”. Through a creative and interesting performance style, the musicians will introduce string, wind and percussion instruments from a scientific perspective, stimulating their interest in music and science. The concerts will also include fun interactive segments. The concerts, ideal for families, will offer a joyful and meaningful weekend.

The concerts will be held at the Macao Science Centre Exhibition Centre. Admission is free with entrance ticket, which can be purchased at the ticket office of the Macao Science Centre. For more information and enquiries about the programme, please visit OM’s webpage www.icm.gov.mo/om or follow the “Macao Orchestra” WeChat account.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presented the concert “When Music Speaks”, part of the concert series “Music for All”, on 8 July, at 8pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. In this concert, aimed at popularizing the art of music, OM’s Music Director, Lu Jiaelaborated on the characteristics of chamber music, allowing the audience to get close with the music in a relaxed manner. After the concert, an autograph session was held, attracting numerous music aficionados.

The concert “When Music Speaks”, part of the concert series “Music for All”, which was held at the Dom Pedro V Theatre, featured excerpts of Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 in B-flat Major, “Gran partita” and of Mendelssohn’s String Octet in E-flat Major. During the concert, Lu Jia shared the phonological beauty of chamber music from different perspectives and briefly discussed about the introductory of classical music, presenting the classical music in an alternative way rather than its stereotype with difficult approach. The audience had the opportunity to enjoy the performance and demonstrations by wind and string ensembles, which led to a more dynamic interaction between the audience and the musicians.

Additionally, tickets for the “2016-2017 Season Closing Concert – Eine florentinische Tragödie” are already on sale; the concert will be held on Saturday, 29 July, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. “Eine florentinische Tragödie”, the concert version of a work by Oscar Wilde, is a one-act opera featuring delicate melodies and an exciting plot. The concert, under the baton of Music Director Lu Jia, features talented Korean singers, namely soprano MyungJoo Lee and baritones Paul Kong and Seung Min Seong, as well as American tenor Erik Nelson Werner.

Tickets for the concert “2016-2017 Season Closing Concert ─ Eine florentinische Tragödie” are priced at MOP400, MOP350, MOP250 and MOP150. Holders of Bank of China multi-currency credit card or Bank of China card enjoy a 30% discount on tickets. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours or visit OM’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.