Author: Ellen Ng

The Macao Orchestra (OM) of the Cultural Affairs Bureau visited Myanmar for the first time from 28 March and 1 April, where it held a concert on 30 March. Under the baton of its Principal Conductor, Lu Jia, OM performed Mozart’s “String Serenade No. 13 in G Major Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” and “Symphony No. 40 in G Major”, offering the local audience a splendid symphonic concert.
The performance was arranged by the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, and organized by the Macao Government Tourist Office and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government. Among the guests attending the concert were the Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Edmund Ho Hau-wah; the Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, Hong Liang; the Myanmar Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism, U Ohn Maung; the Macau SAR Government Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam Chon Weng; the President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Jackson Chang; the Director of the Macao Government Tourist Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR, Mok Ian Ian; the President of the Institute for Tourism Studies of the Macau SAR, Fanny Vong; and several overseas Chinese leaders from Myanmar.

Macao Orchestra under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau will embark upon its 2016-2017 concert season in September. Through the concert season themed ‘Your Time with Music’, a number of promising talents of classical music will display the youthful effervescence of the genre. Concertgoers can, through the diverse performances, feel the preservance and zeal of the musicians and envisage how they spend their time with music, thereby being absorbed in the moment with music of their own. Tickets will be available for sale from Monday 8^th August on Macao Ticketing Network.

Up-and-coming stars born from 1980s to 2000s, including Yulianna Avdeeva, First Prize winner in the Chopin Competition; Yao-yu Wu, the winner of the 2013 Besancon International Competition for Young Conductors; Alice Sara Ott, a young pianist with extraordinary character and affinity; wizardly violinist Nemanja Radoluvic; young conductors Roberto Gianola and Jose Luis Gomez, and others have been invited to perform for the coming concert season. Among the other musicians are exceptional music masters including world-renowned British conductor Gordon Hunt, Hungarian conductor Gilbert Varga, famous German conductor Bruno Weil and prestigious Chinese violinist Ning Feng – they will collaboratively render Chinese and foreign classics to convey their sentiments on this music voyage.

In addition, Macao Orchestra will make a debut of the tremendous symphony by British composer Sir Edward William Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams, and stage a concert of Alexander von Zemlinsky’s renowned opera. The orchestra will also develop new performance space and genres, introducing prominent and magnificent music works including musical theatre and the multimedia film score concert to Macao. Music fans are welcome to experience the outstanding music performances in person.

Macao Orchestra’s 2016-2017 Concert Season Programme can be obtained at Macao Ticketing retail shops for free. The electronic version can be downloaded at www.icm.gov.mo/om. For details and enquiry for programmes, please call 2853 0782 during office hours. In addition, holders of BOC Multi-Currency Credit Card or BOC Card are offered 30% discount for ‘2016-2017 Season Opening Concert – No. 1 Piano – Yulianna Avdeeva and Macao Orchestra’, ‘Starry Vienna – New Year Concert’ and ‘2016-2017 Season Closing Concert –Eine florentinische Tragödie’. Please call Ticketing Hotline: 2855 5555.