In order to promote the development of local classical music and showcase the artistic achievements of local young music talents, the 31st Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, organises two concerts entitled Bravo Macao! under the Local Musicians Concert Series on 30 September (Saturday) and 1 October (Sunday), at 8pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. The concerts feature various virtuosic pieces presented by violinist Lo Cheng Io, pianist Suiong Wong, harpist Leong Cheok Wun, and cellist Ho Chun, allowing the public to appreciate the vitality of these new rising stars.
The first concert Bravo Macao! I features Lo Cheng Io, a sixteen-year-old violinist, and Suiong Wong, a multi-award winning pianist, who will perform four virtuoso pieces of varied styles. Lo Cheng Io is currently the Concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra at the Precollege Division of the Manhattan School of Music. She won several awards in various international and regional competitions in Hong Kong and the United States. She also won the Macao Young Musicians Competition “Talent Prize” twice and the “2014 Cultural Affairs Bureau Prize” in Macao.
Suiong Wong is a renowned pianist and music educator in Vermont, United States, and is frequently on tour. She holds a Bachelor degree and a Master degree in Piano Performance from the Wright State University and the New York University Steinhardt School, respectively. She won numerous awards in Macao and the United States over the years, including the “Cultural Affairs Bureau Prize” in the 27th Macao Young Musicians Competition, is a three-time winner of the Wright State University Student Honours Recital, and winner of the competition organised by the Ohio Music Teachers Association (Young Artist Category).
The second concert Bravo Macao! II features harpist Leong Cheok Wun and cellist Ho Chun, who will showcase the unique charm of these string instruments. Leong Cheok Wun is currently a harpist at the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and a harp teacher at the Macao Conservatory. She is one of the local music talents under the Subsidy Programme for Cultural and Arts Studies of the Cultural Affairs Bureau.
Ho Chun is an active member of the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Orchestra and has participated in tours with the Macao Orchestra and the Macao Chinese Orchestra to Portugal and other European countries as a guest musician. He won numerous awards in the Macao Young Musicians Competition and the National Aegean Cello Competition, as well as the Lotus Award from the Macao Education and Youth Affairs Bureau.
Tickets for the two concerts are limited. Members of the public are advised to purchase tickets as soon as possible. For more information about the 31st MIMF programmes, please visit the Festival’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.
