Culture | ‘Pearl Jubilee’ Macao Music Festival unveiled

Voice from the Mongolian Steppe

Details for the 30th Macao International Music Festival were unveiled yesterday at the Center of Tourism Activities, with 20 programs and 27 performances set to be part of the annual event.
The festival will be held at a variety of cultural locations around Macau, including Arte Nam Van, the Macao Museum, the Dom Pedro V Theater and the Macao Cultural Centre.
The Festival is planned to be held between October 1 and 30 and organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC).  The 30th anniversary of the festival will see the gathering of musicians and music experts from Russia, the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K., Portugal, Mongolia, Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The theme for this year’s edition is “Glorious 30 – The Sinophone Rhapsodies,” and aims to present “the usual renowned classics” as well as several works of “ethnic appeal,” according to a statement from the IC.
One highlight piece is called “Voice from the Mongolian Steppe,” and will be performed by the Mongolian State Morin Khuur Ensemble. According to the festival’s program, the piece utilizes the traditional horsehead fiddle of Mongolian musical culture to represent the experience of nature, history and the life of Mongolians. The IC describes the piece as “authentic, traditional music […] escorting [the audience] to the vast and stunning Mongolian plateau through fascinating voices and tunes.”

Roy Hargrove

A special piece will also be held in honor of the 400th anniversary of the death of the great Chinese playwright, Tang Xianzu. The festival has specially produced the opera “A Dream of Fragrancy”, a home-grown adaptation of the playwright’s traveling experience to Macau in 1591, to be led by local artists.
For the 30th anniversary of the Macao International Music Festival, organizers are planning to host a forum to examine how international arts festivals and events contribute to the sustainable development of a city. The two-day forum will feature a number of keynote speeches and discussion sessions to which prominent international practitioners are invited.
The president of the IC, Ung Vai Meng, stated in his opening speech yesterday that these efforts contribute toward “the broadening of the horizons of the city to a global level and enhancing the artistic humanism of citizens,” referring to the 30th year of the festival as the event’s “Pearl Jubilee.”
In further celebration of the 30th anniversary, a publication will be launched by the IC entitled “30th Macao International Music Festival Special Commemorative Edition,” which will include program reviews and information on the historical evolution of the festival.
There will also be an array of backstage tours, “meet the artist” sessions and master classes to cultivate local interests in culture and music. Among the performers participating in the “meet the artist” sessions are Lawrence Ku, a renowned guitarist, composer and educator in China, and Eugene Pao, a well-known Hong Kong jazz guitarist who has played with leading international jazz musicians in the past.
In addition, “Mount Fortress” will host the hypnotizing fado of Portugal’s new rising star, Carminho, jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove who will play several works by jazz giant Miles Davis, and a jazz concert performed by musicians from the four Cross-­strait regions.
This year’s festival budget stood at MOP38 million, the same as in 2015 and 2014.
Tickets for the festival’s performances go on sale from 10 a.m. on August 7 at Macau Ticketing Network outlets, and telephone and online booking are available from 12 p.m. the same day.
There are two “early bird” discount rates applicable. A 30 percent discount will be granted to those who purchase tickets between August 7 and 14, and a 20 percent discount will be offered on those bought between August 15 and 21.