28th INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL | Russia’s oldest symphony orchestra and Laurie Anderson in town

Laurie Anderson

The 28th Macao International Music Festival, taking place between October 3 and November 1, will feature St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra – Russia’s oldest symphony ensemble – while other iconic names in the world of music, such as American musician Laurie Anderson, are also highlights of this year’s program.
The director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Ung Vai Meng, unveiled this year’s edition program in a press conference yesterday, stressing that among over 20 shows, people can expect opera, musicals, symphony melodies, as well as folk and jazz music. This year’s budget was set at MOP38 million.
Laurie Anderson, who was married to the recently deceased Lou Reed, will be performing at Mount Fortress on October 10. Presenting her work “The Language of the Future,” Laurie Anderson offers the audience not only a collection of songs, but also her views on the American narrative.
Described by The Guardian as “the queen of New York avant-garde,” Laurie Anderson, 67, is an artist who has always remained faithful to the experimental camp, spending, at times, years in creating multimedia performances, featuring songs about themes as varied as democracy, nuclear weapons, or even the post office.

Italian chamber music ensemble I Musici

From the world of classical music, Russia’s oldest symphony ensemble, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, performs at the Macau Cultural Center’s grand auditorium on October 14. Founded in 1882, it was initially known as the “Imperial Music Choir,” performing privately for the court of Alexander III of Russia.
Maestro Yuri Temirkanov and the orchestra bring to town “Russia Romanticism” in a concert, where Tchaikovsky’s symphony fantasy, “Francesca da Rimini,” and his near-concerto, “Variations on a Rococo Theme,” will take center stage. The show ends with Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Symphony.
As usual, opera will open the Musical Festival. The IC has invited Teatro Regio Torino, from Italy, to perform Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “Norma.” The opera tells us the story of Norma, a powerful woman who devoted herself to love, only to later be betrayed.
Presented in two acts, Teatro Regio Torino, which was established in 1740, will be performing “Norma” on October 3 and 5 at the Macau Cultural Center grand auditorium.
From the opera to Broadway’s musicals, the festival program takes us on a journey through a story of courage. “Hairspray – The Musical” closes this year’s MIMF, and will be performed on October 29 and November 1. The musical won eight Tony Awards and ten Drama Desk Awards back in 2003, and was later adapted into a musical film.
Its story takes us back to Baltimore in 1962 to meet 15-year-old dancer Tracy Turnblad, the show’s heroine, as she “embarks on a crusade to overcome racial stereotypes and to break down social barriers.”
Mr Ung Vai Meng stressed in yesterday’s press conference that music chamber performances are also one of the program’s highlights this year.
Hailing from different nations, from classical to pop music, several ensembles will be coming to town. Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” recorded by Italian chamber music ensemble I Musici, takes center stage at D. Pedro V Theatre on October 25.
The Canadian Brass, American duo parnas, and the Shanghai Quartet will also be in town for the festival. Coro Gulbenkian, from Portugal, will perform in two concerts – one held at St. Dominic’s Church and another at Macau Cultural Center. They will also bring influences from Brazil and Angola. Finally, the Chinese Orchestra of the Jiangsu Province Performing Arts Group is another ensemble that has been invited to perform.
With over 20 shows, the Music Festival is organized by the IC, with the support of the Macau Government Tourist Office, TDM, Air Macau, and CotaiStrip, with Cotai Water Jet as the official ferry company.
Tickets go on sale on August 3 at 10:00 a.m. at all Macau Ticketing Network outlets. Telephone and online bookings will also be available.

All about jazz

This year’s MIMF’s Outreach Program comprises a total of 26 additional activities, including talks, workshops, master classes, sharing sessions, and backstage tours. Some are all about jazz!
Portuguese jazz musician Zé Eduardo and his band will once again organize a series of workshops, including beginners, elementary and advanced courses. Workshop attendees will then be able to participate in a “Music Sharing Session,” to be held on August 30. Jazz experts from neighboring regions are also invited to have coffee and discuss jazz with local aficionados on “Café Jazz Days” in four local coffee shops. The program also includes violin and cello master classes. Giving the audience a glimpse of how opera “Norma” and musical “Hairstyle” are produced, the MIMF will take some participants on a backstage tour of the two shows.

A CantoPop singer joins an orchestra

The Macao Chinese Orchestra has invited Hong-Kong cantopop singer George Lam to attend its performances scheduled for October 11 and 12. Taking place at the Macau Cultural Center’s grand auditorium, George Lam and Macau singer Sean Pang will share the stage with the traditional melodies of the Macao Chinese Orchestra. This is not the first time that the ensemble has partnered with cantopop singers, bringing quite a miscellaneous rhythm.
The Macao Orchestra also takes the stage of the Macau Cultural Center on October 18. Under the baton of conductor Lü Jia, the ensemble will present “Mediator,” a concert featuring two of Richard Georg Strauss’s famous symphonic poems: Don Quixote and Also sprach Zarathustra.