Author: Ian Chan

The Macao Chinese Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present the concert “Feeling of Spring”on 16 January 2022 （Sunday）, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Under the baton of renowned conductor Bian Zushan, the Orchestra will feature national first-class pipa performer Wu Yuxia to present celebrated musical pieces. Tickets will be available from 10am this Friday （24 December） through the Macau Ticketing Network.

With Chinese music as the medium, the concert will seek to convey the different sensations of spring, expressing the romantic spirit of music and the vigorous vitality of folk music. The programme of the concert features the famous Chinese orchestral piece“Spring Festival Overture”, which showcases dynamic rhythms through the folklore music genre“Yangge”, evoking the festivity and joy of the most important festival of the Chinese nation. Wu Yuxia, a celebrated contemporary pipa performer, will perform the Concerto for Pipa“Clouds and Flowers Fantasia”, revealing the classical charm and grace of the Tang dynasty. In addition, Wei Zidong, the Macao Chinese Orchestra’s dizi performer, will present the Concerto for Dizi“Spring Breeze”featuring elegant timbre and beautiful rhythms, allowing the audience to feel the charm of Chinese music in spring.

The duration of the concert“Feeling of Spring” is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, including one intermission. Tickets for the concert are on sale at the prices of MOP200, MOP160, MOP140 and MOP120, with various discounts available. 24-hour ticketing hotlines: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com. Owing to linqin performer Cui Junmiao’s impossibility to travel to Macao as scheduled due to the pandemic, the programme will be adjusted. The Cultural Affairs Bureau will strictly follow the relevant guidelines of the Health Bureau and implement appropriate measures for cultural activities. All participants must wear face masks, undergo temperature checks, present a valid“Macao Health Code”of the day.

For more information about the programmes of the Macao Chinese Orchestra Concert Season, please contact the Orchestra through tel. no. 8988 4102 during office hours or visit www.icm.gov.mo/ochm.

The Macao Chinese Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present the Chinese bowed strings concert “Dance with Strings” on 20 November (Saturday), at 8pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. Chen Jun, the renowned huqin virtuoso, will return to Macao and join hands with the Macao Chinese Orchestra to present the entrancing charm of Chinese bowstring music. Tickets are available from 30 October through the Macau Ticketing Network.

Chen Jun, the huqin master, is regarded as the “the Taichi Warrior of Erhu”. He is the second generation of Chen’s Erhu family under the tutelage of master of erhu, Chen Yaoxing. Chen Jun is one of China’s leading erhu players and a first-class performer, and has performed in the USA, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Hungary, Poland, Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries, garnering him praise from the international music community and earning him the moniker “Paganini of the Huqin”. In this special concert, huqin master Chen Jun will collaborate with performers from the Macao Chinese Orchestra’s string section to present Scenes of a Mountain Village composed by Chen Yaoxing, which features a beautiful and lyrical melody with a bright and simple rhythm, and is very characteristic of the local flavor of Shandong.

In addition, Zhang Yueru, Concert Master of the Macao Chinese Orchestra, will present Liu Mingyuan’s On the Grassland with zhonghu, showcasing the gorgeous landscape of the wide grasslands as well as the people’s warm and energetic disposition; Zhonghu Principal Li Feng will perform a rendition of Guo Futuan’s  A Paizi Tune of Qinqiang Opera  with the banhu, offering the audience a taste of the Qinqiang repertoire; the Macao Chinese Orchestra will interpret the erhu repertoire of the hit documentary series, A Bite of China, in a showcase merging food culture with music.

Tickets for the Chinese bowed strings concert “Dance with Strings” will be available from 10am on 30 October through the Macau Ticketing Network, at the prices of MOP120 and MOP100, with various discounts available. The duration of the concert is approximately 1 hour, with no intermission. 24-hour ticketing hotlines: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau will strictly follow the relevant guidelines of the Health Bureau and implement appropriate measures for cultural activities. All participants must wear face masks, undergo temperature checks, present a valid “Macao Health Code” of the day.

For more information about the programmes of the Macao Chinese Orchestra Concert Season, please contact the Macao Chinese Orchestra through tel. no. 8988 4102 during office hours or visit www.icm.gov.mo/ochm.

As Singapore conductor Quek Ling Kiong is unable to travel to Macau due to local anti-epidemic measures, the family musical theatre concert “Music Adventure III” by the Macao Chinese Orchestra (OCHM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, originally scheduled to be held on 6 June, at 4pm, at Broadway Theatre, will be replaced with the family musical theatre concert “Musical Magic Wand Prequel”, and the date, time and venue remain unchanged, sharing the fun with the audience in the beginning of the summer.

In this concert the OCHM will join hands with young conductor Bei Di to present a number of famous musical theatre works, including The Fight between the Ox and the Tiger by Wang Guojie, Kung Fu by Li Bochan and Ebullient Plucked Strings by Wang Danhong. The Big Mouse Kids Drama Group will introduce the four sections of the Orchestra and knowledge of Chinese music to the audience in a lively and dynamic manner, allowing all to learn music with joy. Tickets are available from 10am on 19 May through the Macau Ticketing Network website at www.macauticket.com or at its outlets, and are priced at MOP200, MOP160, MOP140 and MOP120, with various discounts packages. The public is advised to purchase tickets as soon as possible.

The Macao Chinese Orchestra would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to the audience for their understanding and support, and will continue to organise more excellent concerts in the future. For details and updates of the programmes, please visit the Macao Chinese Orchestra website at www.icm.gov.mo/ochm. For enquiries, please call through tel. no. 8399 6678 or 8399 6679 during office hours. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau will strictly follow the related anti-epidemic guidelines of the Health Bureau and implement appropriate measures for cultural activities. All participants must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present a valid “Macao Health Code” of the day, and follow crowd control measures on-site.

The concert “The Future Conductor”, part of the special production series of the Macao Chinese Orchestra (OCHM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, originally scheduled to be held at the Dom Pedro V Theatre on 23 April (Friday) at 8pm, will be relocated to the Macao University Hall (N2), according to the requirements of the programme. This concert, led by Music Director of the Macao Chinese Orchestra Liu Sha, will count with the cooperation of students from the Conducting Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Founded in 1927, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music is regarded as the cradle of Chinese musicians. The Department of Conducting was established in 1956, becoming one of the first educational bases for cultivating professional conductors in China. Postgraduate students from the Department of Conducting of the Conservatory, Niu Jiran and Guo Pan, as well as current students Yuan Xin and Zhuo Xiao were invited to collaborate with the OCHM and conduct each one of the pieces of the concert alongside the Music Director of the Macao Chinese Orchestra, Liu Sha, allowing the audience to have a glimpse of the country’s future conductors and to appreciate varied performance styles of the OCHM under the baton of different conductors.

The programme of the concert includes A Moonlit Night on Spring River for Pipa and Orchestra, arranged by Peng-zhang and Luo Zhong-rong, featuring pipa performer Li Tong, Flower Bangzi, arranged by Yan Shaoyi, featuring banhu performer Li Feng, A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix for Suona and Orchestra, composed by Ren Tongxiang and arranged by Wang Fujian, featuring suona performer Guo Shuangxi and Moon Reflected in the Second Spring for Erhu and Orchestra, composed by Hua Yanjun and adapted by Peng Xiuwen, featuring erhu performer Cai Feng, as well as a number of classical ensemble pieces, including Spring Festival Prelude, composed by Li Huan Zhi, The Moon on High, arranged by Peng Xiuwen, Mount Ava, composed by Guo Wenjing, Harvest Dance on Strings, composed by Wang Danhong, and Yao Minority Dance, composed by Liu Tieshan and Mao Yuan, and the General’s Mandate, adapted by Gu Guanren, which will bring the concert to a successful conclusion.

Tickets for the concert “The Future Conductor” will be available from 10am on 2 April through the Macau Ticketing Network, at the price of MOP 120 and MOP 100, with various discounts available. All music aficionados are welcome.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau will strictly follow the relevant guidelines of the Health Bureau and implement appropriate measures for cultural activities. All participants must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present a valid “Macao Health Code”, and cooperate with the crowd control measures.

For more information on the concert, please contact the Macao Chinese Orchestra through tel. no. 8399 6679 during office hours or visit the Macao Chinese Orchestra website at www.icm.gov.mo/ochm.

The Macao Chinese Orchestra (OCHM in Portuguese acronym) will present “Bloom of Youth”, a special concert in its 2020-21 season, on 26 March (Friday) at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. In order to promote Chinese culture, celebrate youth, highlight the characteristics of Macao and showcase the charm of Chinese music, OCHM has invited renowned female conductor Chen Bing to perform several wonderful pieces in this concert.

The Macao Chinese Orchestra (OCHM) has a long tradition of inviting celebrated musicians and arts groups from home and abroad to perform pieces related to Macao so as to retain a rich musical memory and history for the city. In this concert, the piece Fantasia of Macao, an OCHM commission, written by Taiwan young composer Lin Hsin-Pin, will be making its world premiere in Macao. The composer was inspired in from Macao with its fusion of Chinese and Portuguese cultures to create the piece. Walking along its Portuguese-style cobbled streets flanked with centuries-old historical buildings, one may feel as if in a European city with an Oriental tinge. Through the work, the composer explores Macao, listening to it, and expresses her appreciation of the city’s unique culture and history. Other highlights of the concert include The Beginning by Li Bo, Lu Mu Lian by Mo Fan, and Spring Flowers and Autumn Fruits by Wang Yunfei, in a delightful display of youth and innovation.

The concert “Bloom of Youth” is conducted by Chen Bing, an outstanding contemporary female conductor and associate professor of the Conducting Department of the Central Conservatory of Music. Chen Bing studied under the late, prestigious conductor and educator Professor Xu Xin, as well as under famous conductor and current president of the Central Conservatory of Music, Professor Yu Feng. She pursued further studies at the Metropolitan Opera in the U.S. with master Donald Palumbo, earning great acclaim. She also obtained a diploma in opera as an art directing artist from the Department of Opera of the Cincinnati Institute of Music in the U.S. She has conducted performances of Rossini comic operas like The Barber of Seville and Il Signor Bruschino, and also Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Massenet’s Cendrillon, gaining wide praises.

The concert “Bloom of Youth” will allow the audience to feel the beauty of blooming youth through music and all music fans are welcome. Tickets are now on sale on macauticket.com at MOP200, MOP160, MOP140 and MOP120, with various discounts. Owing to the co-performing group Beijing Chinese Orchestra’s impossibility to travel to Macao as scheduled due to anti-Covid measures, the programme will be adjusted. The Cultural Affairs Bureau will make proper arrangements for the arts and cultural activities in strict accordance with relevant Covid-19 prevention guidelines issued by the health authorities. All participants must wear a facemask, accept temperature check, present personal health code for the day, and follow onsite crowd control measures.

For more details of the concert please call 8399 6679 or visit www.icm.gov.mo/ochm.

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic and to the impossibility of conductor Lin Daye travel to Macao, the concert ‘Lin Daye and Macao Chinese Orchestra – Valentine’s Day Concert “Sentiments”’ by the Macao Chinese Orchestra (OCHM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, originally scheduled to be held on 26 February (Friday), at 8pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre, was cancelled. On the same day, the OCHM will present a special wind and percussion concert to celebrate the Lantern Festival.

Spectators with tickets for the concert “Sentiments” can request the respective refund at the Macau Ticketing Network outlets from 3 February to 31 March, and will be prioritized to register for the special wind and percussion concert. Details will be notified by personnel later.

In celebration of the Lantern Festival and in response to the immense support of music aficionados, the OCHM will present a special wind and percussion concert on 26 February, at 8pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre, featuring pieces like Soaring Dragons and Leaping Tiger, Kung Fu and Panning for Gold. Lantern riddles will also be available on-site, allowing music aficionados to have a unique experience during the festive season. Registration should be made through the IC’s “Activity Registration System” at www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event from 10am on 3 February. Limited seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission to the wind and percussion concert is free with the confirmation message.

The Macao Chinese Orchestra sincerely thanks music aficionados for their understanding and support and will continue to offer more excellent concerts. For details and updates of the concerts, please visit the Macao Chinese Orchestra website at www.icm.gov.mo/ochm. For enquiries, please call through tel. no. 8399 6678 or 8399 6679 during office hours. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555.

IC will strictly follow the related anti-epidemic guidelines of the health authorities and implement appropriate measures for cultural activities. All participants must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present a valid “Macao Health Code” of the day, and follow crowd control measures on-site.