The 30^th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will be held from 1^st October, showcasing 20 programmes and a total of 27 excellent performances. In addition, 18 more extended activities from six different areas add a popular educational and participatory dimension.

Cultural potpourri from East and West

This edition of the MIMF is themed 'Glorious 30‧The Sinophone Rhapsodies'. Aside from renowned classics, this year the MIMF has specially produced the chamber opera 'A Dream of Fragrancy', created by local professionals to mark the 400^th anniversary of the death of the great playwright Tang Xianzu, and as an adaptation of Tang Xianzu's travel experience to Macao in 1591.

The Mongolian State Morin Khuur Ensemble - 'Voice from the Mongolian Steppes' - accompanies the morin khuur with the throat singing technique of khoomei, whereby one singer produces two notes simultaneously, introducing the music of a traditional instrument classified as national intangible cultural heritage. The Macao Chinese Orchestra, the Guangdong National Orchestra, the Taipei Youth Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Yao Yuen Chinese Music Association take to the stage to jointly present the concert 'Joyous Harmony', allowing the audience to enjoy the beauty of national music.

Accomplished classical music conductor Valery Gergiev leads the world famous Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in the performance of Russian masters Prokofiev and Shostakovitch's classical works; British group Colin Currie Group makes its debut in Asia with a minimalist concert featuring percussion works by iconic composer Steve Reich, while Mount Fortress hosts the hypnotising fado of Portugal's rising new star Carminho. Brilliant contemporary jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove will play several works by jazz legend Miles Davis.

Splendid extended activities

The extended activities are as much a draw as the Festival itself. The remarkable Portuguese pianist Adriano Jordão, the leading musician of the rhythm band Colin Currie Group, Colin Currie, huqin master Xu Ke and distinguished pipa master Zhang Hong Yan will conduct classes for local musicians to provide an unrivalled opportunity for learning. Renowned Hong Kong art critic Chow Fan Fu works together with Tam Mei Leng, Assistant Professor of UMAC Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and Danny Yung, Co-Artistic Director of Zuni‧icosahedron - an experimental arts group from Hong Kong - will host a talk about art. Famous jazz guitarists Lawrence Ku and Eugene Pao will share their experiences on jazz, funk and rock n' roll.

One of the most important performances of this Festival is Turandot. The organizer of the show will hold four backstage tours after the opera, enabling audiences to take a closer look at settings, costumes and props for the theatre. And from September to October, a number of community screenings will elevate the pursuit of the musical dream, after which guest speakers Leong I On and Chan Ka Keong will share their views of the different movies.

Some tickets sold out

MIMF will run from 1^st to 30^th October, with tickets on sale from 7^th August, some of which were sold out on the first day; namely, for the 'Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet', 'Quintessence Night, Magic Bow' and 'The Story of Pipa'. Tickets for 'Gloria' have already been distributed.

For more information, please visit the Festival website at: www.icm.gov.mo/fimm/30/en or visit IC's Official WeChat Accounts. You can also call during office hours: (+853) 8399 6699 or 24-hour ticket sales hotline (+853) 2855 5555. For Hong Kong, call (+852) 2380 5083 and for Mainland China, call (+86) 13926911111. Online ticket office: www.macauticket.com.