Category: Press Release

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym) under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, under the baton of the Orchestra’s Assistant Conductor Francis Kan, will join hands with local musicians to present the concert “The Future of Classical Music” on Saturday, 13 May, at 8pm, at the University Hall of the University of Macau. Admission is free.

The OM provides a performance platform for young musicians to fulfil their dreams. Every year, OM performs jointly with young music students and music lovers, allowing them to showcase their talent. Under the baton of conductor Francis Kan, this year OM will present Vltava from Má Vlast by Smetana, Pavane by Fauré, Holberg Suite by Grieg and Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 by Enescu. The programme of the concert fully demonstrates the strength of the musicians. Performing groups also include The University of Macau String Orchestra, The University of Macau Symphonic Band, Macau Strings Association, Macau Band Directors Association, The Student Philharmonic Orchestra of the Macao Conservatory, students of the Bachelor of Arts in Music course from the Macao Polytechnic Institute and two local young music talents, Chan Hoi Kei and Elisa Chon Teng.

Admission to the concert “The Future of Classical Music” is free. A limited number of tickets is still available. Interested parties can reserve tickets through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours. For programme enquiries, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om

The 28^th Macao Arts Festival, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, takes “Heterotopia” as theme and offers a wide array of performances, among which the Macao Orchestra concert “Resonance through Space-Time”, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 23 May, at 8pm, at The Venetian Theatre. Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulovic will join hands with the young Spanish conductor Jose Luis Gomez to take fans on a musical journey through time. This concert is supported by The Venetian Macao. All interested parties are welcome to purchase their tickets.

Venezuelan-born Spanish conductor Jose Luis Gomez was catapulted to international attention when he won First Prize at the International Sir Georg Solti Conductor’s Competition in Frankfurt in September 2010, following a unanimous decision from the jury. In turn, the charismatic Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulović, winner of “Best Instrumental Soloist of the Year” at the 2014 Victoires de la Musique Classique, in France, conquered the classical music world through his combination of thrilling virtuosity and depth of expression, both in the recording studio and on the concert stage. This is the first time both musicians perform in Macau and join hands with the Macao Orchestra to offer the public performances of Chausson’s piece for violin and orchestra Poème, Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso and Tzigane, Rhapsodie de Concert, as well of Ravel’s arrangement of Mussorgsky’s orchestral suite Pictures at an Exhibition. This is certainly an extraordinary concert not to be missed.

Tickets for “Resonance through Space-Time” are available for sale at the Cotai Ticketing Box Office and Macau Ticketing Network sales counters at the prices of HKD/MOP300 (A Reserve), HKD/MOP200 (B Reserve) and HKD/MOP100 (C Reserve). Tickets may also be purchased through the webpage www.cotaiticketing.com or tel. nos. +853 2882 8818 (Macao), +852 6333 6660 (Hong Kong), the toll free reservation hotline 4001 206 618 (China) as well as through the Macau Ticketing Network webpage www.macauticket.com, or tel. no. 2855 5555 or personally in designated ticket sales points.

For more information about the programmes, ticket purchase and other discounts, please check the 28^th Macao Arts Festival Booklet; the booklet PDF version can be downloaded at www.icm.gov.mo/fam, follow the MAF’s page on Facebook or subscribe to IC’s WeChat account.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presented the concert “Weekend Music Party – Musical Yoga”, part of the special production series, on 22 April, at Dom Pedro V Theatre, presenting a concert dedicated to yoga music for the first time and attracting numerous fans. OM will also present the concert “British Scenery”, part of the Orchestra’s Maestros with Charisma series, on Saturday, 29 April, inviting the public to enjoy an evening at the sound of British music.

The concert “Weekend Music Party – Musical Yoga”, featuring a number of relaxing classical pieces, fused classical music and yoga, allowing the members of the public to find their breathing rhythm in music. Following the concert, an outreach activity entitled “Music Hour – Yoga Workshop” conducted by a professional yoga instructor, was held, offering participants a full body stretching experience. Some of the audience members expressed that the innovative concert and yoga workshop allowed them to relax their body and mind, making it an ideal weekend activity.

In addition, OM will present the concert “British Scenery”, part of the Orchestra’s Maestros with Charisma series, on Saturday, 29 April, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church. World-renowned British conductor Gordon Hunt was specially invited to lead the Orchestra in the performance of Dvořák’s Serenade for Winds in D minor as well as of British composer Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 5 in D Major. It was through his serenades for winds in E Major and in D minor that Dvořák was catapulted from an obscure musician to fame and to being one of the most acclaimed composers of his time. The programme of the concert features the lively Serenade for Winds in D minor, reverberating a deep Czech flavour. The concert also features the elegant and lyrical Symphony No. 5 in D Major by Vaughan Williams. British conductor Gordon Hunt is renowned worldwide, and frequently hosts master classes and cooperates with acclaimed chamber music ensembles. He also holds the position of Principal Oboe at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Philharmonic. As an oboe soloist and a conductor, Hunt has a profound understanding of wind music and is a refined interpreter of British music.

Admission to the concert “British Scenery” 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 concerts, please contact OM through tel. no. (853) 2853 0782 during office hours or visit the Macao Orchestra webpage at www.om-macau.org.

The Macao Orchestra (OM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the “Easter Concert”, part of the Orchestra’s Maestros with Charisma series on two consecutive nights, 15 and 16 April (Saturday and Sunday) at 8pm at St. Dominic’s Church. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Principal Conductor of the Orchestra, Lü Jia, will not perform as planned, and therefore the concert will be led by local conductor Lio Kuokman. Four outstanding Korean singers will also present solo pieces, celebrating the Easter with the Macao Orchestra together. In addition, the original programme of the concert will be changed. Admission is free.

Lio Kuokman, a renowned conductor born and raised in Macao, was awarded the Second Prize (First Prize not awarded), the Audience Prize and the Orchestra Prize at the 2014 Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in France, becoming the laureate of most prizes in this competition. He is also the first Chinese conductor taking the position of Assistant Conductor in the history of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Lio Kuokman is currently the Asia Residency Artistic Advisor and Conductor of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. He also received the Medal of Merit – Culture granted bythe MSAR Government in 2014 in praise of his contribution for the development of arts and culture.

In addition, the original programme of this concert will be changed. In collaboration with four outstanding Korean singers, the concert will feature a number of musical pieces such as Mozart’s Requiem: K. 626 (Excerpts), Gounod’s Petite Symphony for 9 Wind instruments and Elgar’s Serenade in E minor, Op. 20, among others.

Admission to the “Easter Concert” 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. The Macao Orchestra’s upcoming concert “British Scenery”, part of the Maestros with Charisma series, will be held on 29 April, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church, featuring Dvořák’s Serenade for Winds in D Minor and British composer Vaughan Williams’ elegant and tender Symphony No.5 in D Major. Admission is free. For details and enquiries about the concerts, please contact OM through tel. no. (853) 2853 0782 during office hours or visit the Macao Orchestra webpage at www.om-macau.org.

  2017-April-4    Source: Shenzhen Daily

A 28-YEAR-OLD Chinese composer, Zheng Yang, wowed the local audience with his new piece “Far Away Mast,” which debuted at Shenzhen Concert Hall on Sunday night.

Zheng had the world premiere of his latest repertoire performed by the Macao Orchestra, one of the most renowned orchestras in China, to pay tribute to the ongoing Shenzhen Belt & Road International Music Festival.

Unlike most classical music, the “Far Away Mast” symphony features an innovative presentation of a maritime voyage, symbolizing the boats that sailed from China to the outside world in ancient times for trade and communication.

With flutes and clarinets, the orchestra envisioned the beginning of the maritime journey as joyful and pleasant. By involving the performance of Asian drums extensively, the symphony then vigorously presented visions of big ships voyaging over the sea, encountered by the occasional storm.

The young and talented composer shared his inspiration in composing the symphony with Shenzhen Daily backstage before the concert began. He said he expected that the audience would have different sensations when they hear the performance.

“It’s nothing like the traditional symphonies where you can clearly distinguish a lead melody and the harmonies, because this particular symphony requires very different performance skills and emotions,” said Zheng.

Although it was the world premiere of the show, Zheng said that he was very satisfied with how the Macao Orchestra had interpreted his music with their excellent skills. “I was worried before, but after I saw their rehearsal this afternoon, I felt so glad and relieved,” said Zheng.

At a young age, Zheng was invited by the organizing committee of the music festival to compose a symphony for the “Belt & Road” theme. The composer said that he was given plenty of freedom and respect to present his vision of the initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping.

“I wanted to create something new that had never been performed before,” said the composer, who is now teaching at People’s Liberation Army Arts College in Beijing.

Apart from the world premiere of “Far Away Mast,” performances brought by the conductor of the Macao Orchestra, Lu Jia, and a Chinese pianist, Wan Jieni, were also among the highlights of the concert Sunday night.

Lu is one of the top conductors from China and has been invited to many world-level music festivals.

In an interview before the concert, Lu told Shenzhen Daily that the Belt & Road Music Festival is a pioneer in promoting culture communication among different countries and races. He suggested that Shenzhen hold its pace and establish long-term brands for such cultural activities.

Together with the Macao Orchestra, Wan performed Piano Concerto in A Major by Grieg, which won round after round of applause and cheers.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym) under the Cultural Affairs Bureau will present the concert “Children’s Day Concert – The adventure of DoReMi” on Saturday, 3 June, at 2:30pm, at the Macao Tower Auditorium. All children are invited to participate in a joyous musical journey with “Uncle Music”, fairy “DoReMi” and “The Princess”. The concert is suitable for children aged three or above and tickets are available at the Macau Ticketing Network from 10am on 26 March (Sunday).

The Little Mountain Arts Association was specially invited to present a play in this concert, bringing to the stage a fusion between an original story and classical music. The Little Mountain Arts Association will incorporate classical pieces selected by the Macao Orchestra into a unique original play, including cheerful musical compositions such as The Waltzing Cat, Mission Impossible and The Pink Panther, among others, hoping children will enjoy the performance and the joy of classical music. The Little Mountain Arts Association is the first local arts organization mainly dedicated to the development of parent-children oriented stage arts, nurturing children’s spirits through an array of performing arts, encouraging creativity and thinking. Its drama productions for children include “Town Musicians”, “A Star in the Galaxy” and “The Happy Prince and the Little Match Girl”, among others. The Little Mountain Arts Association has also been invited to take part in major public events in several places such as Hong Kong, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

Tickets for the concert “Children’s Day Concert – The adventure of DoReMi” are priced at MOP120. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 or visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.om-macau.org.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present the concert “Weekend Music Party – Musical Yoga” on Saturday, 22 April, at 4pm, at Dom Pedro V Theatre. A limited number of tickets is still available for purchase at the Macau Ticketing Network. Music aficionados are advised to purchase tickets shortly.

The concert “Musical Yoga” fuses classical music and yoga, offering a relaxing experience for modern city dwellers. Yoga, which originated in ancient India, features a long history and is a kind of modern activity that helps balance physical and spiritual health. It emphasises on the balance between body, mind, emotion and spirit, which can be reachable easily through accessible techniques. The concert will feature a number of relaxing classical music pieces that allow the public to catch its breath, including the lively and simple Canon in D major by Pachelbel, the graceful and tranquil The Swan by Saint-Saëns and Grieg’s piece Morning Mood featuring a fluid tempo, reminiscent of an early morning in Morocco.

Tickets for the concert “Weekend Music Party – Musical Yoga” are priced at MOP120 and MOP100. The next concert by the Macao Orchestra in this series will be “Weekend Music Party – Memory of Youth”, to be held on 24 June, at 4pm, at Dom Pedro V Theatre, featuring renowned film soundtracks which evoke beautiful memories of those youthful days on campus. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 or visit Macao Orchestra’s website at www.om-macau.org

.

The Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present the concert “Schubert’s Unfinished Piece” in its Maestros with Charisma series. The concert will take place this Friday, 10 March, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church, featuring the guest conductor Arvo Volmer to join hands with the principal Oboe of the Macao Orchestra, Kai Sai, to present the only oboe concerto composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Admission is free.

The principal oboe of the Macao Orchestra, Kai Sai, won numerous awards, including in the 1st China Woodwind Chamber Music Competition in 1997, in Yugoslavia’s International Young Musicians Competition in 2002, in Finland’s Crussel Oboe International Competition in 2005, in the Danish National Radio Chamber Music Competition and also conquered the Danish Radio Chamber Music Competition and the Association Award of the Denmark Chamber Music Federation in 2009. He has served as principal oboe for the Southern Denmark Symphony Orchestra, the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra and the China NCPA Orchestra. Under the baton of internationally-renowned Estonian conductor Arvo Volmer, Kai Sai will perform Mozart’s only oboe concerto, the Oboe Concerto in C major. This piece, with its beautiful and ingenious melodies, is one of the most difficult pieces of all time, highlighting the soloist’s skilfulness. The programme also includes the Overture to Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera, premiered in Vienna in 1805, a composition the composer took 10 years to finish; and Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 in B minor (“Unfinished”), premiered in Vienna only 37 years after the composer’s death and which, with only two movements, is compared to the great Symphony in C major, being regarded as one of Schubert’s true gems. This concert, featuring the three musical giants Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert, promises an unforgettable evening filled with classical masterpieces.

Admission to Macao Orchestra’s concert “Schubert’s Unfinished Piece” concert 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 programme enquiries, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours or visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.om-macau.org.

The concert “Weekend Music Party – Sand Art Music Show”, specially presented by the Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, was held successfully on 4 March, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. The Macao Orchestra joined hands with renowned Hong Kong sand painting artist Ma Wing Cheung, who created with his deft hands stunningly beautiful pictures to the vigorous melodies which indulged the audience with a dazzling art performance.

In the concert “Weekend Music Party – Sand Art Music Show”, Ma Wing Cheung used sand to offer heart-warming and compelling scenes and stories to the audience. The sand flowed between his fingers to the sound of the two selections from L’estro armonico (“The Harmonic Inspiration”) and La stravaganza (“The Extravagance”), concluding with the Concerto for flute, oboe, and bassoon in F Major “La tempesta di mare” (“The Storm at Sea”) by Antonio Vivaldi. Music aficionados enjoyed the lively violin music, while feeling the flowing sand scenes created by Ma Wing Cheung, which turned this concert into an absolutely memorable show.

The Macao Orchestra will also present the two special productions “Weekend Music Party – Musical Yoga” and “Weekend Music Party – Memory of Youth”, to be held on 22 April and 24 June, respectively, at 4pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. “Musical Yoga” will present various pieces of classical music with even and slow tempo, while “Memory of Youth” will be dedicated to film soundtracks that remind the public’s most precious and unforgettable memories of those youthful days on campus.

Tickets for the concert are priced at MOP120 and MOP100, with various discount packages available. Ticketing Hotline: (853) 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 or visit the Macao Orchestra’s website (www.om-macau.org).

The Macao Orchestra (OM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the concert “Weekend Music Party – Sand Art Music Show” on Saturday, 4 March, at 4pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. This concert combines classical music, sand drawing and lighting, bringing a stunning audio-visual musical feast to the public. Due to the enthusiastic response of music aficionados, tickets for the concert are almost sold out. Nevertheless, a limited number of tickets is still available for purchase at the Macau Ticketing Network.

The Macao Orchestra continues to carry out an innovative spirit by presenting a daring and refreshing cross-medium art performance in collaboration with renowned Hong Kong sand-animation artist Ma Wing Cheung, who will create with his deft hands stunningly beautiful images to the vigorous melodies of Vivaldi’s concerti L’Estro Armonico, La Stravaganza and La Tempesta di Mare.

Tickets for the concert “Weekend Music Party – Sand Art Music Show” are priced at MOP120 and MOP100. Ticketing hotline: (853) 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please visit Macao Orchestra’s webpage www.om-macau.org

Music is present in daily life and classical musical is no longer restricted to concert halls. The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents concerts in different cultural venues this weekend, namely at the Tap Seac Gallery on Friday, 24 February at 6pm and at the Macao Museum of Art on Sunday, 26 February at 3pm, filling these magnificent venues with classical music and also offering the public an artistic experience simultaneously visual and aural. Admission is free and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The first concert “Music In Tap Seac Gallery” will be held on Friday at the distinctive historic Tap Seac Gallery, featuring two string quartets, namely Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major and Haydn’s String Quartet in B flat Major. On Sunday, OM moves to the Macao Museum of Art to present the concert “Music in the Macao Museum of Art”, featuring Danzi’s Wind Quintet in A Major, Op. 68 No.1 and Ibert’s Three short pieces, offering music aficionados refined chamber music performances. The performances aim to integrate arts with music and promote a cultural ambience in the community.

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 https://www.om-macau.org/.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym) under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau recently presented the concert “Ning Feng Plays Elgar”, part of the Shining Virtuosos Series, at St. Dominic’s Church. In the concert, young Taiwanese conductor Tung-Chieh Chuang, winner of the Malko International Conductors Competition, led internationally renowned violinist Ning Feng and OM in the performance of the romantic and lyrical Violin Concerto in B minor by Edward Elgar, a British composer of the 19th and 20th centuries. In his return to the territory, Ning Feng offered Macao music aficionados a superb musical performance, and personally conducted the activity “Music Hour – Violin Master Class with Ning Feng” on 17 February, at the Macau Museum of Art Auditorium, attracting a number of violin students and enthusiasts.

Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B minor is regarded as a very challenging and difficult concerto. Ning Feng performed it with his particular style and extraordinary technique, demonstrating virtuosity and a perfect execution in both the slower movement and the climatic moments of the concerto. In the second half of the third movement, the violinist revealed the pizzicato tremolo accompanied by the orchestra, leaving the audience longing for more in spite of the 50-minute long Concerto. Then internationally awarded conductor Tung-Chieh Chuang directed Stravinsky’s Fire Bird Suite (1919) with his extraordinary technique, allowing the audience to feel the prince’s determination in his fight against the devil and experience the exhilarating sounds of French impressionism present in this piece.
Before the concert, OM especially organized the activity “Music Hour – Violin Master Class with Ning Feng”, guided by Ning Feng himself, broadening the musical horizons and performance experience of participants. After the performance, an autograph session with the violinist was held, highly sought after by numerous fans.

On 4 March, at 4pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre, OM will present the concert “Weekend Music Party – Sand Art Music Show”. Renowned Hong Kong sand-painting artist, Ma Wing Cheung, and OM will present, combining classical music and sand painting, an innovative and interdisciplinary art performance. A limited number of tickets are still available, priced at MOP120 and MOP100. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and programme enquiries, please contact OM through tel. 2853 0782, during office hours, or visit the Orchestra’s webpage at https://www.om-macau.org/.

The Japanese Drama Classic “Nodame Cantabile Music Concert”, specially presented by the Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, was held successfully on 10 and 11 February, at the Macao Tower Auditorium. As the Japanese drama Nodame Cantabile has been in the 10th anniversary this year, the concert specially featured the most popular classic works of the story, allowing the audience to enjoy the excellent performance while reminiscing the love story of Nodame Cantabile and Chiaki Shinichi. The concert attracted a lot of music aficionados with companions, where they captured their romantic moments in a “Live photo, Life memory” photography activity under a warm atmosphere.

Conductor Yao-Yu Wu, who won the prestigious International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors at the age of 24, in collaboration with the second prize winner at the Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD in 2011, Claire Huang Ci, presented the quintessential piece in the drama, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, and concluded with Beethoven’s romantic Symphony No.7 in A Major. The concert lasted 90 minutes, leaving the audience enchanted and yearning for more.

In addition, the Macao Orchestra will also present the master concert “Ning Feng Plays Elgar” on 19 February, Sunday, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church. Renowned violinist Ning Feng will play Elgar’s Violin Concerto, which is regarded as the greatest British romantic violin concerto. Admission is free. Tickets will be distributed at the venue 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 programme enquiries, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s webpage at https://www.om-macau.org/.