The 33^rd Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will be held from 4 to 30 October. This edition of the MIMF, themed ‘The Instrumentalist’, gathers internationally acclaimed musicians and orchestras from around the world and offers 17 programmes in a total of 22 excellent performances, bringing a musical feast of grandeur, bounding spirit and rhythmic melodies and sharing the beauty of music with the general public.

Mozart’s two-act opera The Magic Flute opens the Festival; the majestic momentum of The Yellow River Cantata brings the 33^rd MIMF to a close

This edition of the MIMF kicks off with the opera in two acts The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The opera, filled with a creativity beyond imagination, makes a breakthrough in the traditional operatic presentation, leading the audience to a magical and fantastic world. Produced by the Komische Oper Berlin and British theatre group “1927”, this innovative opera production blends film animation and live singing. In celebration of the 70^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 20^th anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China, and in commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the premiere of the The Yellow River Cantata by Xian Xinghai, the Macao Orchestra will join hands with the China NCPA Orchestra and Chorus to present this signature piece with majestic momentum and tenacity as a wonderful closing tribute.

World-renowned maestros gather in Macao; chamber music is presented in various styles

In the concert Billy Childs Quartet, the ensemble director and multi-Grammy Award winner Billy Childs will present a mesmerising night of jazz. The Dorian Wind Quintet from the United States, renowned for its exquisite and passionate performances, will present a magnificent repertoire of musical pieces and will join hands with jazz pianist Billy Childs to present the world premiere of his highly anticipated piece Ecosystems. Trio Mediaeval from Norway will present the concerts Aquilonis and Folk Songs, allowing music aficionados to indulge in the world of vocal music; In Pontos nos Is, prominent Portuguese ensemble “Os Quatro e Meia” will present the most beautiful Portuguese songs, combining pop-rock and Fado music; the female African kora virtuoso Sona Jobarteh will stage various traditional African tunes in the concert Manding Griot; world-acclaimed Vienna Philharmonic will return to Macao to perform Dvořák’s Symphony of the New World and the virtuosic Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with celebrated Chinese pianist Yuja Wang, a concert not to be missed.

Musical dialogue features a blend of Eastern and Western cultures; rising stars showcase their musical talent

Bulgarian violinist Svetlin Roussev and Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son will present the electrifying concert A Musical Affair at Dom Pedro V Theatre; the two musicians will also join hands with the Sejong Soloists to present Mendelssohn’s Double Concerto in D Minor in the concert Encounter Four Seasons. Macao’s violin prodigy, Sophia Su, will team up with the Sejong Soloists to present Haydn’s Violin Concerto No. 1, in the concert Serenade of Strings. The Macao Chinese Orchestra invited various eminent musicians to present a repertoire of Chinese and Western classics in the concert When the East Meets the West in Music, including the aria Nessun Dorma from the famous Italian opera Turandot. The Shanghai Traditional Music Society will present several masterpieces featuring the national intangible cultural heritage “Jiangnan Sizhu’ for three consecutive nights at the Mandarin's House, one of Macao’s World Heritage sites, showcasing the essence of Jiangnan music. American multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick will unfold his extraordinary musical skills at the Taipa Houses Amphitheatre; the concert Bravo Macao! invites two young local music stars, Choi Hio Lam (guzheng and erhu) and Fang Teng (erhu) to showcase their outstanding musical talent.

Various discount packages available; tickets on sale from 4 August

Tickets for the 33^rd MIMF are available at the Macau Ticketing Network from 10am on 4 August (Sunday). Reservations can be made by phone or online from 12pm onwards on the same day. On the first day of ticket sales, ticket purchases are limited to a maximum of 10 tickets per performance per person. An early bird discount of 30%, subject to certain criteria, is available from 4 to 11 August, and a 20% discount will be offered from 12 August onwards. In celebration of the 70^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and of the 20^th anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China, this edition of the Festival features “Special Offers in Celebration of the Handover”, including a 30% discount on one ticket and a 50% discount on two or more tickets for the concert The Vienna Philharmonic by presenting a valid Macao Resident Identity Card. Members of the public who purchase their tickets with BOC Credit Card or BOC Card will receive a 30% discount on tickets for the opening performance Grand Opera in Two Acts The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and for the concert Macao Orchestra and the China NCPA Orchestra and Chorus: The Yellow River Cantata. A 20% discount on tickets for all other shows is also available for holders of designated credit cards. A 25% discount will be offered to OM Friends, CCM Friends and Friends of the Macao Chinese Orchestra during the early bird period and a 20% discount from 12 August onwards. A 50% discount will also be offered to holders of Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card. Air Macau customers can enjoy a 20% discount on ticket purchases at the Macau Ticketing Network outlets by presenting their respective boarding pass (flight code NX) within 7 days upon their arrival in Macao. For every ticket purchase over MOP1,000 (net price calculated after discounts), purchasers will receive a “buy 1 get 1 free” voucher for Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets. For every ticket purchase over MOP500, purchasers will receive one 20% F&B coupon which can be redeemed when dining at selected restaurants at the Sands Resorts Macao.

This edition of the MIMF counts with the support of the Macao Government Tourism Office, TDM – Teledifusão de Macao, Air Macau, Sands Resorts Macao, and has Cotai Water Jet as the official ferry company. For more information about the programme and offers, please visit the Festival’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm or the respective page on Facebook (“Macao International Music Festival”). For enquiries, please contact IC through tel. no. 8399 6699 during office hours. 24-hour ticketing hotlines: 2855 5555 (Macao), 2380 5083 (Hong Kong) and 139 269 11111 (Mainland China). Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.

The press conference of the 33^rd MIMF was held on 30 July, at 3:30pm,  at the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre. The press conference was attended by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mok Ian Ian; the Acting Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Lau Fong and Choi Kin Long; the Head of Destination Marketing Department of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Betty Fok; the Deputy General Manager of Bank of China (Macau Branch), Chan Hio Peng; the Director of the Programmes and Production Division of TDM, Ltd., Lok Kong; the Director of Community Affairs of Venetian Macao Limited, Annie Lam; the Associate Director of the Sales and Marketing Department of Cotai Water Jet, Kenneth Cheng; the Acting Head of Department of Performing Arts Development and Acting Head of Division of Performing Arts of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Wong Wing Tai and U Weng Hong.