Baroque festival invites local and int’l musicians to present series of classics

Lio Kuokman

The 5th Macao Baroque Music Festival is set to return to the city with the theme “connection,” celebrating the SAR’s growing connections with neighboring cities and regions around the globe.
Alliance Française de Macao will present the annual festival this Saturday, kicking off the event with The Four Seasons and classics by Astor Piazzolla and Antonio Vivaldi.
This segment underlines the cultural differences between Mediterranean Europe and the heart of South America. With Baroque music that grooves, and tangos flush with 18th century flair, maestro Lio Kuokman will combine Baroque music with tango at the opening concert of the Macao Baroque Music Festival.
“I’m sure it’s going to be an interesting concert. I cannot emphasize enough how great of a talent Lio Kuokman is. He is so young and is going to be an amazing asset for Macau,” said William Bascaule, director of Alliance Française de Macao.
“It’s interesting to also showcase local talent through our organization, because it is great to show Macau people what we have in town,” he added.
The Four Seasons will be showcased at the Small Auditorium of the Macao Cultural Centre, with Lio Kuokman as conductor and harpsichordist; Yoo Jin Wang, Quan Yuan, Melody Wang and Amelia Chan on the violin; and Laurent Perrin on the cello.
Meanwhile, to present the festival’s segment “From Portugal to France,” four musicians from the Macao Orchestra will follow the connection between Portugal and France throughout the Renaissance and early Baroque periods, through the works of Pedro do Porto, Manuel Correia do Campo and François Couperin, among others.
The string quartet will play at Clube Militar de Macau this coming Sunday at 6 p.m.
This year, the organization has also invited the organist of Geneva’s St. Pierre Cathedral, Vincent Thévenaz, to play the organ at St. Joseph’s Seminary on November 13 and 14.
The two evenings have two different programs, and each features a variety of works by composers from around the world.
“He is one of the top French organists. We have five good ones worldwide and he’s one of them,” said Bascaule.
“For us, it’s important to present a high level of quality to the audience,” he added.
Sticking to the theme “connection,” Bascaule said that this year’s festival has invited artists and musicians from different regions, including Guangzhou, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
“It’s going to be very interesting to see the unity […] and the connection between the pieces they will be playing,” he said.

Vincent Thévenaz