• MIMF gets the ball rolling with Donizetti’s timeless opera L’Elisir d’Amore (Photo courtesy of Judith Schlosser)
  • Backstage tours of L'Elisir d'Amore will be organized to encourage audiences to explore the magical world behind the curtains (Photo courtesy of Judith Schlosser)
  • Macao Orchestra and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (Photo courtesy of Han Jun)

32nd Macao International Music Festival - Enjoy the Moment

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Organised by the Macao SAR Government Cultural Affairs Bureau, the 32nd Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) will be held from 28th September to 28th October. This edition of the MIMF is themed 'Enjoy - The Moment in Music' and offers 16 programmes featuring 22 excellent performances that it is hoped audiences will seize the moment to experience the joy and fulfilment music brings to the soul, individually and collectively.

Falling in love with L'Elisir d'Amore

On the occasion of the 170th anniversary of the death of composer Gaetano Donizetti, this edition of the MIMF opens with the timeless opera L'Elisir d'Amore ("The Elixir of Love") by the Zurich Opera House, transmitting the magical power of love through magnificent music. Consequently, this edition of the MIMF has invited the Institute for Tourism Studies to offer a special drink - 'Elixir of Love' - for sale at IFT's Educational Restaurant from September for a limited period of time.

The Festival closes with two concerts by the Staatskapelle Dresden, one of the world's top ten orchestras boasting a history of over 400 years, and conductor Christian Thielemann, who joins hands to interpret Schumann's complete symphonies, thereby presenting in full masterpieces of the most romantic German composer of the 19th Century.

Stars shine on stage

In this edition, world renowned family quartets take to the stage one after the other. The Hagen Quartet from Salzburg offer a concert comprising German and Austrian classics, enabling music fans to glimpse the evolution of the string quartet through this fantastic musical journey. The quartet Los Romero - known as 'The Royal Family of the Guitar' - features three generations of the same family whose high skills are based upon a profound family connection.

Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander takes to the stage with his trio to present A Life in Jazz, while British choir Stile Antico, working without a conductor but with seamless rapport, presents the concert Queen of Muses, featuring a selection of British Renaissance music composed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I; the same ensemble further offers the concert Tenebrae Responsories, taking the audience on a journey of sacred Catholic music by Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria. And combining the rumba flamenco with Portuguese fado, Portuguese ensemble Sangre Ibérico offers audiences a night of Latin music in the concert Portugal Meets Spain.

In order to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini the MIMF reveals its witty humour with the opera Il Signor Bruschino. Camerata Salzburg, hailing from Mozart's home town, join hands with acclaimed French violinist Renaud Capuçon to present two of Mozart's most extraordinary violin concertos and two very different symphonies by Haydn. Meanwhile, renowned Brazilian cellist António Meneses comes to Macao to present a sophisticated repertoire, including Bach's Cello Suite, the ultimate test for any cellist aficionado.

Connecting East and West with music

Lu Jia, Music Director of the Macao Orchestra, joins hands with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra to present Anton Bruckner's magnum opus Symphony No. 8 in C Minor. Famed conductor Liu Sha leads the Macao Chinese Orchestra in concert with Guo Yazhi, a legend in the suona circles of China, to present Nostalgic Lane, offering the audience a whole new perspective on the appreciation of the suona and Chinese music.

The Guangdong National Orchestra presents Cantonese Rhyme along the Silk Road for an epic journey across the maritime trade route filled with magnificent sea views and soul-stirring images of history, while two distinctive electronic music bands, Evade from Macao and FM3 from Beijing, perform a night of hypnotising sounds in Electronic Sparks. In addition, the special concert Bravo Macao! reveals the talent of local percussionists Hoi Lei Lei and Raymond Vong.

This year's MIMF Outreach Programme features a total of 13 activities in six categories, including talks, pre-show talks, backstage tours, masterclasses, meet-the-artists sessions and workshops, enabling music fans to soak up the charms of music. World renowned Brazilian cellist Antonio Meneses will conduct a masterclass, mentoring local cello students in person to improve their playing skills. For Meet-the-artist, The Looping Electronic Music World of Buddha Machine will offer a unique musical experience.

Backstage tours will take the audience behind the scenes of the opera L'Elisir d'Amore. In Kids DIY Symphony Workshop, participants will make use of recycled materials to create simple musical instruments to enjoy the fun of crafting. Meanwhile, a number of talks and pre-show talks will be held during the Festival, which will be conducted by Chow Fan Fu, Lo Kingman, Mars Lei, Katrine K. Wong, Tina Fu and Leon Chu, exploring the diverse aspects of music and enhancing audiences' artistic appreciation.

All tickets for MIMF programmes are on sale now, with all outreach activities currently accepting applications. Some tickets have already been sold out due to overwhelming demand. For more information about MIMF, please visit: www.icm.gov.mo/fimm.