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The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presented the “Starry Vienna – New Year Concert” on 31 December 2018, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, to welcome the New Year with music aficionados. Renowned conductor Arvo Volmer joined hands with outstanding Chinese soprano Hui He to bring the New Year concert in Viennese style. The concert featured festive decorations, photography activity and a cocktail reception in a joyful atmosphere.

OM’s “Starry Vienna – New Year Concert” has become one of the major musical events for local music aficionados to celebrate the New Year. This year, under the baton of conductor Arvo Volmer, outstanding Chinese soprano He Hui presented a number of Western and Chinese musical pieces, including Giuseppe Verdi’s Mercè, dilette amiche from I Vespri Siciliani, Giacomo Puccini’s Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore” from Tosca, and Zheng Qiufeng’s How Beautiful My Home Town, among others. The concert drew a full house and music aficionados enjoyed the wonderful musical moments in the festive atmosphere.

In addition, OM will present the concert “Salute to Richard Strauss – Tianwa Yang and the Macao Orchestra” on 19 January 2019, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Under the baton of Principal Conductor Lu Jia, talented violinist Tianwa Yang, will cooperate with OM for the first time.

Tickets for the concert “Salute to Richard Strauss – Tianwa Yang and Macao Orchestra” are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network and are priced at MOP250, MOP200 and MOP150. 24-hour ticketing hotline: 2855 5555; online ticketing: www.macauticket.com. For details and programme enquiries, please visit the OM’s webpage 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 2018-19 Concert Season on 1 September. In celebration of its 35th anniversary, this year’s Concert Season is themed “Music Gala 35: Music Fills the City”, gathering a number of prominent musicians to bring music aficionados a variety of excellent performances. Tickets for the new concert season are already on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network.

The 2018-19 Season Opening Concert, “Sergei Rachmaninoff by Barry Douglas”, will be held on 1 September, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Under the baton of OM Music Director Lu Jia, pianist Barry Douglas, winner of the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1986, was invited to perform in this opening concert following his last performance with the Macao Orchestra in which he played Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, very well-received by the audience. In this concert, Barry Douglas will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 followed by Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, offering music aficionados a Russian-style musical feast. In addition, the “Piano Master Class with Barry Douglas” will be held on 30 August, at 6:30pm, at the Macao Conservatory Auditorium, in which Barry Douglas will coach and exchange views with the participants in person. Registration for participants being coached or observers can be made through tel. no. 2853 0782 and is open until 22 August. Successful applicants will be notified personally for the payment which must be made at the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

Tickets for the 2018-19 Season Opening Concert “Sergei Rachmaninoff by Barry Douglas” are available at the prices of MOP400, MOP350, MOP250 and MOP150. From today until 31 August, a 40% early bird discount on tickets is available for four or more persons who purchase tickets at the same time, or on tickets for all concerts for holders of “OM Friend”, “CCM Friend” or “Friend of the Macao Chinese Orchestra” cards. During the Early Bird period, “OM Friends” can redeem 2 tickets of “Along with the Musical Joy – Annual Gala and Gathering” by presenting OM Friends’ Card and tickets for the concert “Sergei Rachmaninoff by Barry Douglas”, “Salute to Richard Strauss – Tianwa Yang and Macao Orchestra” or “Piano Prodigies”, at the reception of Cultural Affairs Bureau during office hours. Tickets are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

This year, the organizer offers the “OM Friends Music Points Program”, in which members can earn reward points by purchasing Macao Orchestra concert tickets, which can be used to get discounts. For more information, please refer to the Concert Season’s booklets and to OM’s website. The Concert Season booklets can 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. no. 2853 0782 during office hours. 24-hour 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, will begin its 2018-19 Concert Season, themed “Music Gala 35: Music Fills the City”, in September. In celebration of its 35th anniversary, a number of prominent musicians were invited to bring music aficionados a variety of excellent performances. As part of this concert season, a new “Young Audience Programme” will be launched, offering young music aficionados a series of educational and outreach activities, as well as a special edition of the Macau Pass to spread classical music everywhere. Furthermore, the OM has commissioned outstanding contemporary Chinese composer Wang Xilin a new work for its 35th anniversary, aiming to celebrate the special occasion with music aficionados. Tickets for the new concert season will be on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network from 1 July, and an early bird discount of 40% will be available, subject to certain criteria, between 1 July and 31 August.

The launch of the Macao Orchestra 2018-19 Concert Season was held on 20 June, at 3:30pm, at the Mandarin Oriental Macau Ocean Room, and was attended by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mok Ian Ian; the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Orchestra, Lu Jia; the General Manager of Mandarin Oriental Macau, Jill Goh; the Chief Executive Officer of Air Macau Company Limited, Chen Hong; the Deputy General Manager of Bank of China (Macau Branch), Chan Hio Peng; the Assistant to Chief Executive Officer of Air Macau Company Limited, Wen Dexin; the Senior Manager of the Customer Service Department of the MOME Ltd., Chiang Man Ieng; the President of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Nie Bing; the Head of the Department of Performing Arts Development of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Iu Wai Man; the Director of the School of Music of the Macao Conservatory, Liu Mingyan; the General Manager of the Macao Orchestra, Rebecca Chou Wai In; the Assistant Conductor of the Macao Orchestra, Francis Kan; the local illustrator Leong Kin; and the Concertmaster of the Macao Orchestra, Paolo Morena.

World-leading musicians and rising stars perform in Macao

A variety of captivating performances will be held in the new concert season. The opening concert “Sergei Rachmaninoff by Barry Douglas” will be jointly presented as a Russian musical feast for the audience by Barry Douglas, the internationally renowned winner of the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, and the Macao Orchestra. Notable Chinese soprano He Hui, who was nominated for the “You Bring Charm to the World Award”, will join hands with conductor Arvo Volmer to bring the audience the high-class “Starry Vienna – New Year Concert”.

Talented Chinese violinist Tianwa Yang will make her debut in Macao and present the Symphonie Espagnole in tribute to the unique charm of the music of German composer Richard Strauss. Macao young conductor Lio Kuokman and pianist Chen Sa will jointly present the “Valentine’s Day Concert – Piano in Love”. World famous Italian bassoonist Sergio Azzolini will also debut in Macao. Legendary violinist Kyung Wha Chung will present Beethoven’s timeless masterpiece, the Violin Concerto in D Major, at the closing performance. In addition, OM will offer music aficionados a large and creative multimedia concert entitled “National Geographic: Symphony for Our World”, featuring a number of great German and Austrian classical works.

Salute to Richard Strauss in collaboration with orchestras of Mainland China

In order to commemorate the 70th anniversary of German composer Richard Strauss’s death, OM will introduce the unique charm of his music in various concerts in the new concert season. Two classical symphonic poems, Don Juan and Tod und Verklarung, will be successively presented, as well as the work An Alpine Symphony, a large-scale composition to be performed in collaboration with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. Moreover, OM will join hands with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra to present Bruckner’s masterpiece, the Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, in a magnificent concert not to be missed.

Launch of the “Young Audience Programme” broadens the young audience’s horizons

In line with the theme “Music Gala 35: Music Fills the City”, OM launches the “Young Audience Programme”, offering young music aficionados a series of educational and outreach activities, aiming at developing young people’s ability to appreciate and broaden their horizons in culture and arts. The programme is open to all full-time students aged 25 or below. Admission is free. The “OM Young Friends” will not only enjoy 55% discounts on ticket purchases, but can also join various music activities such as “OM Little Reporter”, “Meet the Artists” and “Pre-Concert Talks” to collect points for winning prizes.

Various discounts as a reward for music aficionados’ support

Tickets for the new concert season will be on sale from 10am on 1 July (Sunday) at the Macau Ticketing Network. Ticket sales for the programmes of the Macao International Music Festival and the Macao Arts Festival will be announced at a later stage. For updated information, please visit OM’s official website or the Macau Ticketing Network website. 40% early bird discounts will be offered from 1 July to 31 August, when four or more persons purchase tickets at the same time, or on tickets for all concerts for purchases with the “OM Friend”, “CCM Friend” or “Friend of the Macao Chinese Orchestra” cards. A 30% discount will be offered from 1 September onwards. A 40% discount will also be available for purchasers of four or more tickets for any concerts of the “Chamber Voyage” series. Holders of BOC Credit Card or BOC card will receive a 30% discount on tickets for special programmes, as well as a 20% discount on tickets for all non-special programmes. A 20% discount on tickets for all programmes will be available for purchases with a valid Macao Teacher Card, MasterCard, Visa Card or UnionPay Card from ICBC (Macau), BCM Bank, OCBC Wing Hang or Tai Fung Bank. A 50% discount will also be offered to holders of a valid full-time Student Card, Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card. For more information, please refer to OM’s concert season booklet.

Macao Orchestra’s 2018-19 concert season counts with the support of Mandarin Oriental Macau, Bank of China (Macau Branch) as its special bank partner, and MOME Ltd. as its mobile media partner. The new 2018-19 Concert Season booklets can be obtained at the Macau Ticketing Network outlets for free. The electronic version can be downloaded on OM’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om. For more information and enquiries, please contact OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours. 24-hour 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, presented the concert “Leonard Bernstein’s 100th Anniversary by Lio Kuokman and Macao Orchestra”, part of the Maestros with Charisma series, on 24 February at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. One of the highlights of the current concert season, the concert was led by Macao talented musician Lio Kuokman, who also programmed the event and enthusiastically performed a work for piano. After the concert, an autograph session with Lio Kuokman was held at the same venue, in which the musician received an overwhelming support from music aficionados.

The concert “Leonard Bernstein’s 100th Anniversary by Lio Kuokman and Macao Orchestra”, featured a number of masterpieces by the great 20th century composer, Leonard Bernstein. The Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, presented in the second half of the concert, deeply impressed the audience in particular. This orchestral piece condenses all the important plots of the original story, embodying the composer’s imaginative musicianship and sophisticated orchestration skills. At the concert, Lio Kuokman also performed the piano part of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue resorting to a variety of performing techniques and styles, revealing all his talent when facing the great challenge of being a pianist and a conductor simultaneously.

On the day before the concert, the Macao Orchestra specially organized the sharing session “Music Hour with Lio Kuokman”, in which the conductor shared memorable moments of his musical career and offered practical and valuable advice to music enthusiasts.

The concert “The Musical Footprint of Dvořák”, part of the Shining Virtuosos series, will be held on Saturday, 10 March, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, featuring renowned Italian cellist Mario Brunello. Tickets for the concert are now available through the Macao Ticketing Network and are priced at MOP250, MOP200 and MOP150. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com. For details and enquiries about the programme, please call OM through tel. (853) 2853 0782 during office hours or visit OM’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day in advance, the Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym) presents the “Valentine’s Day Concert – The Phantom of Love” at The Venetian Theatre on Saturday, 10 February, at 8pm, celebrating this romantic day with music aficionados. Under the baton of the Assistant Conductor of the Macao Orchestra, Francis Kan, the Macao Orchestra will join hands with Portuguese soprano Sofia Escobar and young Chinese tenor Li Yi to bring the audience into the musical theatre world where emotions meet dramatic expression. Tickets are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network and all Cotai Ticketing box offices. The concert venue is supported by The Venetian® Macao.

In the concert, the Macao Orchestra and the two famous singers will perform a series of moving and fascinating melodies from movies and musicals, including Aladdin, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and The Phantom of the Opera, among others. Renowned Portuguese soprano Sofia Escobar won the most prestigious theatrical honours in the United Kingdom with her role of Maria in the West Side Story musical, including the “Best Actress in a Musical” award in the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards and a nomination in the best actress category for the Laurence Olivier awards. She has also received wide acclaim from her performance as Christine Daaé, the protagonist of The Phantom of the Opera, at the West End Theatre in London. Tenor Li Yi is also acclaimed as a rising star in the opera world and has soon gained attention for his performance in the lyric tenor repertoire. In this concert, the Macao Orchestra, in collaboration with the two young singers, will inflame the public’s endless fantasy of love with its timeless classical melodies.

Tickets for the “Valentine’s Day Concert – The Phantom of Love” are already on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network and all Cotai Ticketing box offices at the prices of MOP300 (Zone A), MOP200 (Zone B) and MOP100 (Zone C), with a discount of 30% for OM Friends. Tickets can be purchased through the webpage www.cotaiticketing.com, through tel. no. (853) 2882 8818 (Macao), (852) 6333 6660 (Hong Kong), or through the free hotline 4001 20 6618 (China), through the Macau Ticketing Network website www.macauticket.com, or through tel. no. (853) 2855 5555 or in person at the designated service locations. For details and enquiries about the programme, please contact OM through tel. no. (853) 2853 0782 or visit Macao Orchestra’s webpage 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 “Great Symphonic Poems” on Friday, 2 February, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church. Under the baton of OM’s Principal Conductor, Lu Jia, the Orchestra presents the work My Fatherland, a cycle of six symphonic poems by 19th century composer Bedrich Smetana. Admission is free.

19th century Bohemian composer Bedrich Smetana, founder of the Czech nationalistic music, set an extraordinary composition paradigm with his extensive music practice. His symphonic poems My Fatherland, which portray the glorious history, beautiful landscape and heroic characters of the composer’s native land, is the pinnacle of Smetana’s Czech music compositions, a true expression of fervent patriotism and national pride. Due to its length and demand of a high performing technique, the cycle is rarely performed in its entirety. However, this time, under the baton of Conductor Lu Jia, OM will perform the complete symphonic cycle My Fatherland, thereby offering a rare opportunity not to be missed.

Admission to the concert “Great Symphonic Poems” is free. Tickets will be distributed at the 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 or visit OM’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, visited six elderly homes last week, presenting six Spring Festival concerts, part of the “Love Music．Love Devotion” series, for over 400 elderly people, promoting love through music.

In order to demonstrate its care for the elderly and to promote music, OM has recently visited and rendered Spring Festival concerts at several elderly homes and rehabilitation centres, including the Ian Fai Integrated Senior Citizens Care Centre, Asilo de Santa Maria, Centro Pastoral da Areia Preta, Longevity Special Day Care Centre, Lar São Luís Gonzaga and Centro de Santa Margarida. In the “Love Music．Love Devotion” Spring Festival concerts, OM presented numerous pieces of classic Western music and popular Chinese music, expressing greetings to the elderly. In a pleasant and warm atmosphere, the elderly audience watched the sophisticated performance by the musicians with great concentration. The pieces included Spring Festival Prelude, Be Lofty Step by Step, and Colourful Clouds chasing the Moon, among others. OM’s General Manager Chou Wai In and the Secretary General of the Caritas Macau Pun Chi Meng, among others, also came to enjoy the concerts with the elderly and offered Spring Festival gifts to the elderly.

OM will continue to promote music to audiences of different ages, hoping to deliver love and blessings to the community through classical music performances.

In order to mark the 100th anniversary of North-American composer Leonard Bernstein, the Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the concert “Leonard Bernstein’s 100th Anniversary by Lio Kuokman and the Macao Orchestra” on 24 February, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Led by Lio Kuokman, a renowned musician hailing from Macao, the concert offers a programme dedicated to Leonard Bernstein. Lio Kuokman also takes on the role of pianist and reveals his great talent in a solo performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. In conjunction with the theme of this concert season “Along with the musical joy”, the Orchestra specially organizes the activity “Music Hour with Lio Kuokman”, on 23 February, at 7pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Conference Room. Admission is free and reservations are available through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours.

Praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer as “a startling conducting talent”, Lio Kuokman was the winner of the Second Prize (the First Prize was not awarded), the Audience Prize and the Orchestra Prize at the Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition held in Paris in 2014, and was selected by the Principal Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, as Assistant Conductor of the ensemble, therefore becoming the first Chinese conductor in this position at the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is currently serving as the Orchestra’s Asia Residency Artistic Advisor and Conductor. Lio was further awarded a Certificate of Commendation and a Medal of Cultural Merit from the Governments of Hong Kong and Macao, in recognition of his contributions to arts and culture. Lio is also an outstanding pianist and has performed as soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata Salzburg, the Bacau Philharmonic of Romania, the China National Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, among others.

The concert “Leonard Bernstein’s 100th Anniversary by Lio Kuokman and the Macao Orchestra” features musical pieces by the great 20th century composer, Leonard Bernstein, including excerpts from the Fancy Free Ballet and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, among others. In addition, Lio Kuokman also will perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, seeking to break the barrier between “classical” and “popular”, revealing to the audience the charm created by the collision and fusion between the classical and the popular.

Tickets for the concert “Leonard Bernstein’s 100th Anniversary by Lio Kuokman and the Macao Orchestra” are priced at MOP250, MOP200 and MOP150, and various discount packages are available. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please visit OM’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the chamber music for brass and woodwind “Listen to Winds” on Friday, 26 January, at 8pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre, offering a concert that fuses jazz and classical music. Tickets are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network. In tandem with this concert season’s theme “Along with the Musical Joy”, the sharing session “Music Hour with Musicians” will be held specially before the concert, featuring OM’s Principal Oboe Kai Sai and Principal Flute Weng Sibei, who will share the structure and characteristics of the musical pieces OM is presenting with the participants. All music aficionados are welcome to share and exchange views with the musicians.

Although string quartets are the most popular form of chamber music, pieces for woodwind or brass instruments are equally prevalent. Brahms’ work Clarinet Quintet in B minor, which was always compared to Mozart’s masterpiece Clarinet Quintet in A Major, was one of the last pieces composed by Brahms, showing a sense of sophistication, mellowness and nostalgia. The concert also features two works by 20th century French composer Francis Poulenc, namely the Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone, as well as the Sextet for Piano and Winds, which feature the refined and restrained neoclassical style and rich jazz elements popular at the time. Poulenc was greatly fond of wind instruments as he considered that the timbre and power of expression of such instruments always inspired his musical imagination.

In addition, the sharing session “Music Hour with Musicians” will be held on the same day, prior to the concert, at 7:15pm, at Dom Pedro V Theatre Mirror Hall. Admission is free. Registration can be made on or before 25 January through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours or through OM’s WeChat account.

Tickets for the concert “Listen to Winds” are priced at MOP120 and MOP100, with various discount packages available. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com. For details and enquiries about the programme, please visit OM’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/om.

The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present the concert “Piano Giant” on Saturday, 20 January, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Under the baton of Music Director Lu Jia, the Macao Orchestra will join hands with Stefan Vladar, a celebrated pianist specialized in the interpretation of Beethoven’s masterpieces, to present a piano concerto by Beethoven. In addition, the IC specially organizes the “Piano Master Class with Stefan Vladar” on Friday, 19 January, at the School of Music of the Macao Conservatory, where the master will coach and exchange views with the participants in person. Registration for observers in Master Class is open until 17 January. All music aficionados are welcome to participate.

The renowned Austrian pianist Stefan Vladar won the first prize of the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna in 1985, marking the youngest winner in the history of the Competition. He has frequently performed in concert halls throughout Europe, America and Asia. Vladar has joined the Vienna Chamber Orchestra as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director since 2008, going on tours with the Orchestra in Austria as well as many other countries around the world. On his first visit to Macao, Vladar, who is currently a piano professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, will present a magnificent interpretation of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, one of the signature pieces in his repertoire, as well as Brahms’ Overture to Academic Festival and Bruckner’s Study Symphony, offering an extraordinary music feast for the music aficionados.

Tickets for the concert “Piano Giant”, part of the Shining Virtuosos series, are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network and are priced at MOP250, MOP200 and MOP150. Holders of a BOC Credit Card or a BOC Card may enjoy an exclusive discount of 30% on ticket purchase. Ticketing hotlines: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.

Those interested in observing at the “Piano Master Class with Stefan Vladar” can register by phone through tel. no. 2853 0782 by 17 January during office hours, and fee for observers is MOP40. Successful applicants will be notified individually. For details and enquiries about the programme and the master class, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.