2020 Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from its Portuguese acronym), is themed “For a Special Year”, aiming to inspire people with music during the epidemic. The concert “A Century of Chinese Music” will be held on 4 October (Sunday), at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, in commemoration of the founding of the Datong Music Society in Shanghai 100 years ago, which spearheaded the development of contemporary Chinese music. Spectators with tickets are advised to arrive punctually.

In the concert “A Century of Chinese Music”, the Macao Chinese Orchestra, under the baton of the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Chinese Orchestra Liu Sha, in collaboration with prominent pipa master, Zhang Hongyan, and accomplished contemporary guzheng soloist, Luo Jing, presents enchanting pieces including Gongs and Drums for a Bumper Harvest, pipa piece Blossoms on a Moonlit River in Spring and the well-known zheng work Song of the Homebound Fishermen. In the concert “Mahler Symphony No. 1” to be held on 10 October, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, the Macao Orchestra and the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra will present Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in order to promote artistic exchanges in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In addition, the Macao Orchestra will perform the first movement of Echoes from the Old Macao, a composition by local composer Lam Bun-Ching commissioned by the Macao Orchestra, which reminisces the bygone days of Macao. Limited tickets for the concert “Mahler Symphony No. 1” are still available and music aficionados are welcome to participate in the musical feast. In the concert “Bravo Macao!” to be held on 31 October at the Dom Pedro V Theatre, local percussionist Andrew Chan and saxophonist Lee Chi Pok will share the stage to showcase their virtuosity.

In addition to the aforementioned concerts, the pre-show talk “Mahler Symphony No. 1” will be held on 10 October, at 7pm, conducted by the Music Director and Principal Conductor of Macao Orchestra Lu Jia. Online registration is available through IC’s Activity Registration System (www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event). Vacancies are limited. In addition, the “Street Piano Programme” starts from 1 September to 30 December, with pianos placed at various parks and leisure areas in Macao and Taipa, as well as the Macao Science Centre, providing a platform for people of all ages to play music freely. The pianos will be regularly sanitized with photocatalysts and residents are advised to wear masks and disinfect their hands with alcohol-based gel before playing.

For more information about the programme of the Macao International Music Festival, please visit the thematic website www.icm.gov.mo/fimm, IC’s official WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao” or the “Macao International Music Festival” page on Facebook. 24-hour ticketing hotlines: 2855 5555 (Macao), 2380 5083 (Hong Kong) and 139 269 11111 (Mainland China). Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com. 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 and present a valid “Macao Health Code”. IC continues to monitor the development of the outbreak closely and adjust the measures accordingly.