Macao International Music Festival 2017 cements the city’s status as a centre of entertainment and culture
The 31st edition of this major music festival is the centrepiece of a thriving, diverse musical culture in Macau
Macau’s status as a musical centre has risen rapidly in recent years, with a growing roster of events attracting major world talent.
A central pillar of this success has been the Macao International Music Festival. This year, the city welcomes the festival’s 31st edition, which comprises a month of concerts, showcasing a cast of impressive global and regional performers.
Opening the festival is a much-anticipated production of Andrea Chénier, the much loved four-act opera by Umberto Giordano. Performed by Italy’s Teatro Regio Torino, it is set to be a high point of the region’s cultural year.
Another stand-out event is one-act opera A Fragrant Dream. The creation of writer Lawrence Lei, composer Liu Chenchen and poet Un Sio San, it is Macau’s first chamber opera, originally written in celebration of the 30th Macao International Music Festival.
Special guests at the festival this year include the Vienna Philharmonic, widely considered one of the world’s greatest orchestras. They will perform not one but two concerts: The Golden Peak on October 29, comprising works by Strauss and Beethoven, and on October 30 Timeless Beethoven, featuring the works of Beethoven and Wagner.
One highlight of the festival is a performance by Berlin-based Japanese composer and vibraphonist el fog (Masayoshi Fujita), considered one of the most exciting contemporary musicians working today. His sonic creations are influenced by jazz and electronic music, but the results are entirely his own.
