Scheduled for the 16th consecutive year, the upcoming Macao International Music Festival (4th October ¡V 23rd October, 2002) is set to whet the appetites of locals and visitors alike offering fourteen different concert programmes on a festival calendar that is fully occupied apart from the 15th.

The Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) , organised by the Cultural Institute of the Macao SAR Government, aims to bring in renowned performers from abroad and is the high point of Macao's musical year seeking to promote a balance of events that can reflect Macao's diversity and meet its diverse needs. The programme aims to offer an encounter of East and West, covering opera, symphony works, chamber music, contemporary music provided by an impressive line-up of performers from Asia and the West.

Big events for 2002 include a fully-staged opera production of La Bohè/;me (4, 5, 6/10), the Choir of Westminster Abbey (22/10) and a semi-staged performance of Shanghai songs (12, 13/10) but the biggest draw this year is sure to be the Closing Concert given by the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Lorin Maazel (23/10), another feather in the cap of the Festival Organisers.

In addition to the New York Philharmonic, FIMM offers an opportunity to enjoy the Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Macao Chamber Orchestra, the Macao Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra in various performances, either supporting choral works (La Bohè/;me, Rossini's Stabat Mater on 8/10, Memories of Old Shanghai on 12, 13/10, Broadway Rhythm 2002 on 18, 19/10) or in full symphonic swing (Romantic Concertos on 9/10, Encounters on 10/10, and Saudades de Macau on 21/10).

Balancing these major productions, there is also an emphasis on more intimate chamber performances with music from the Borodin String Quartet (17/10), Portuguese guitarist Pedro Jó/;ia who will appear with a string trio (16/10), Claudio Marcotulli from Italy in The Classical Guitar from Vivaldi to Falla (7/10), and Portuguese duo Antó/;nio Rosado on piano and Antó/;nio Saiote clarinet (6/10).

Most of the major performances will be staged in the state-of-the-art Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium where concertgoers can benefit from the top quality acoustics of Macao's prime concert venue. However, in keeping with the Cultural Institute's policy of promoting heritage sites throughout the city, there will be the usual free concerts at certain historic venues, most notably Rossini's Stabat Mater in the Cathedral, and Saudades de Macau in St. Dominic's Church, while the magnificent faç/;ade at the Ruins of St. Paul's will serve as the backdrop to two drum spectaculars, Chinese Drum Magic, presented by the award-winning Drum Ensemble of Jiangzhou, Shanxi Province (11, 14/10), and in complete contrast Pedro Jó/;ia's performance of Variations on Carlos Paredes, a classic reworking of traditional Portuguese fados at the same venue (16/10).

Macao is especially delighted to welcome back Lam Bun Ching, an outstanding contemporary composer born in Macao who will return to conduct her own work. Saudades de Macau, commissioned by the Macao Cultural Institute in 1990, reflects the composer's memories of her birthplace and will provide locals and visitors with a very special insight into one woman's musical sensibilities.

Offering something to suit a variety tastes is the challenge faced by the Artistic Director of any festival. Warren Mok, responsible for shaping the Macao International Music Festival programme since 2000, has come up trumps with a range of concerts that will appeal across the ages, from classical to modern. From Rossini's Stabat Mater to Broadway Rhythm 2002, La Bohè/;me to Memories of Old Shanghai, Romantic Concertos to Saudades de Macau, the contrasts are striking yet thought-provoking, providing a remarkable opportunity for music-lovers to tailor individual programmes to satisfy or extend their musical tastes. While there is ample opportunity to indulge in old favourites, there is the potential excitement of experimenting with something completely new.

MIMF also includes an extensive programme of workshops, open rehearsals, master classes and concert lectures targeted specifically at students, or open to the general public. These events take advantage of the fact that experienced professionals are on hand and in addition to musical instruments and voice, they also include technical staff, stage hands, make-up and other areas.

This year the Cultural Institute has added in a new series of seminars-Welcome the New Century with Melodies and Dances¡Xheld in July and September. The seminars are directed at students in primary, secondary and tertiary educational establishments in Macao in a move to broaden their musical horizons. The future of a viable local music sector depends on preparing our youngsters to become consumers, or even producers of cultural products in the future. The Cultural Institute contributes to this by offering special youth lectures, expert guidance, and discounted tickets for young people in Macao.

In line with the Macao Administration's policy of "Promoting Tourism through Culture", increasing efforts are being made to make the Festival more attractive to international guests. In cooperation with the Macao Government Tourist Office and its thirteen overseas representative agencies, information and news about the Festival will be distributed throughout the world. Since the Handover, there has been a marked increase in the numbers of people travelling from the Pearl River Delta region to attend Festival events. To respond to this trend, ticket sales and pick-up counters will be set up in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongshan and Zhuhai, to facilitate the task of purchasing tickets in those areas. There will also be enhanced promotion in these areas to attract more music lovers to visit Macao.

Apart from the five performances that benefit from free admission, tickets will be offered at reasonable prices with discounts available under certain conditions. Tickets for the Festival will be available for reservations and sales from 21st July 2002 at Kong Seng Paging outlets/; through a ticketing hotline (Macao: 555 555/; Hong Kong: 7171 7171), and online (www.macauticket.net).

There will be a special offer of 50% discount for: tickets for four different performances bought at the same time/; and group bookings for 10 or more tickets bought at the same time. Holders of Full-time Student Cards and Senior Citizen Cards also benefit from a 50% discount, although this benefit is restricted to the cheapest seats.

There will be a special offer of a 20% discount for holders of: Teachers Cards, Youth Cards, BNU Credit Cards, Weng Hang Bank Credit Cards, Hang Seng Bank Credit Cards.

(Discounts will not be available for the Closing Concert given by the New York Philharmonic on 23rd October.)

For further information, contact:

Festival Hotline: (853) 335141

e-mail: fimm@icm.gov.mo

Festival website: www.icm.gov.mo/fimm/