Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the 37^th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) was grandly inaugurated at the lobby of the Macao Cultural Centre on 3 October. Under the theme “Vocal Waves”, the MIMF this year is presenting 12 spectacular programmes and 14 outreach activities, showcasing a series of enchanting musical pieces this autumn.

The opening ceremony was held in a lively and festive atmosphere and officiated by the Acting President of IC, Cheang Kai Meng; Acting Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Cheng Wai Tong; Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Bai Bing; Member of the Executive Committee of Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., Un Weng Kuai; Passenger Sales Executive of Macau Area- Air Macau Company Limited, Xu Shan; Director of Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited, Clarence Chung Yuk Man; Executive Vice Chairman of Sands China Ltd., Dr. Wilfred Wong; Secretary-General of SJM Resort, S.A. Dr. Rui Cunha; and MIMF Programme Director, Lio Kuokman . Following the ceremony, the guests enjoyed Carmen – Opera in Four Acts by Georges Bizet jointly presented by the MIMF and SJM, which kicked off this edition of the Festival in spectacular style.

This year’s MIMF will feature a series of splendid musical pieces from Eastern and Western civilisations. Melco Resorts & Entertainment will specially present Mikhail Pletnev and the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra, a concert of majestic yet delicate musical poetry featuring a complete cycle of Rachmaninoff’s four piano concertos performed by piano maestro Mikhail Pletnev and the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra, which is celebrated for its profound musical interpretations;  World-renowned baritone Thomas Hampson will present a recital dedicated to the evocative lieder of Gustav Mahler, including those from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn) and Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit. Renowned for his expressive virtuosity and adventurous interpretations, violinist Daniel Hope will join hands with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra to perform two versions of The Four Seasons from different times: the baroque classic  by Antonio Vivaldi and the recomposed minimalist version by contemporary British composer Max Richter. This juxtaposition will create a stunning experimental soundscape that interweaves vibrant representations of the original with the extraordinary reconstructions of the new version.

In commemoration of the 80^th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 120^th anniversary of the birth of Xian Xinghai, the MIMF has specially curated two commemorative concerts – River of Legacy and The Yellow River, offering uplifting wartime songs to commemorate history, honour martyrs and promote patriotism. Sheng’s Ultimate Timbre will be performed by a trio of world-class musicians—renowned sheng player Wu Wei, violist Martin Stegner and double bassist Janne Saksala, guiding the audience into a harmonious musical dialogue between Eastern spirituality and Western sentiment. In the concert Cuca Roseta and the Macao Chinese Orchestra, Portuguese Fado diva Cuca Roseta will join hands with the Macao Chinese Orchestra to interpret the sound of Portuguese soul and explore the themes of love, loss, longing, and destiny with the unique touch of the Portuguese guitar.

Tickets for the 37^th Macao International Music Festival are on sale through Enjoy Macao Ticketing (ticketing.enjoymacao.mo) with various discounts available. For more information about the programmes and offers, please visit the Festival’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm or the respective page on Facebook (“Macao International Music Festival”).