Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, coordinated by the Macao Orchestra Company, Limited, and supported by Bank of China Macau Branch, the Macao Chinese Orchestra 2025–26 Concert Season will be inaugurated on 30 August. The new Concert Season will feature a range of distinctive musical creations and outstanding works. Under the theme of the “Culture City of East Asia”, the new Concert Season will premiere works co-composed by internationally renowned composers from China, Japan and South Korea, showing the unique charm of traditional East Asian music to music aficionados. Tickets for the new Concert Season are now available through the Macau Ticketing Network, with various discounts available.

The press conference of the Macao Chinese Orchestra 2025–26 Concert Season was held today (29 August) at the Conference Room of the Macao Cultural Centre, and was attended by the Acting President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheang Kai Meng; the Acting Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Kuok Mio U; the General Manager of Banking Center of the Bank of China Macau Branch and Director Executive of Societies and Business Associations, Leong Sai Kun; the member of the Board of Directors of the Macao Orchestra Company, Limited, Jimson Hoi; the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Chinese Orchestra, Zhang Lie; the composers of Eastern Radiance, Park Bum-hoon, Kaoru Wada and Luo Maishuo; the Executive Director of the Macao Orchestra Company, Limited, Lo Sek Ieong; the Resident Conductor of the Macao Chinese Orchestra, Liao Yuan-Yu; and the Artistic Planning Manager, Brian Cheong. At the press conference, musicians of the Macao Chinese Orchestra performed the festive musical piece Panning for Gold, giving a warm blessing for the new Concert Season.

Concert “Eastern Radiance” emits the sparks of East Asian art; millennium intangible cultural heritage Bianzhong to be staged in Macao

On the occasion of Macao’s designation as a “Culture City of East Asia 2025”, the Macao Chinese Orchestra specially invited internationally renowned composers from China, Japan and South Korea, namely Zhao Lin and Luo Maishuo from Mainland China, Kaoru Wada from Japan, and Park Bum-hoon from South Korea, to co-compose the Symphonic Suite of Traditional Chinese Music Eastern Radiance. The work will be performed by traditional instrumentalists from three countries at the Season Opening Concert “Eastern Radiance”, showcasing the musical essence of the three nations.

The Season Closing Concert “Millennium Echo” will feature the bianzhong,  an ancient percussion instrument with profound cultural value, bringing millennial resonance resounds across Macao. The Macao Chinese Orchestra will join hands with the Bianzhong National Orchestra of Hubei Provincial Opera and Dance Drama Theatre to perform a number of ancient music and contemporary concertos for bianzhong, allowing the audience to experience the spark of dialogue between tradition and modernity.

A dazzling array of musical masterpieces to showcase the unique characteristics of traditional Chinese music

In order to commemorate two extraordinary masters of Chinese music, Liu Tianyi and Peng Xiuwen, the new Concert Season will feature the concert “Harmonious Cantonese” in commemoration of the 115^th anniversary of Liu Tianyi’s birth, and the concert “The Titan” in commemoration of the 95^th anniversary of Peng Xiuwen’s birth, inviting the audience to appreciate the artistic characteristics of Cantonese music and traditional Chinese music through their works.

The new Concert Season also includes several special concerts dedicated to different instruments and sections, leading the audience to explore the unique charm of the instruments. Renowned bamboo flute player Hou Guangyu and the Principal of the Orchestra’s ruan section Lin Jie will jointly present the concert “Dawn Breaks”, bringing the crisp timbre of bamboo flute and the mellow tones of the ruan. The Wind and Percussion Concert “Strike · Breath” will showcase the primal and vibrant timbre of Chinese music, while the Bowed String and Plucked String Concert “Floating Wave”, under the artistic direction of renowned pipa master Wu Man, will allow the audience to experience the charm of Chinese music through the expressive fusion of the two sections.

Concert series reveals the musical charm of World Heritage sites; offering immersive experience of Chinese music in the community

In celebration of the 26^th Anniversary of Macao’s Return to the Motherland, the Macao Chinese Orchestra will join hands with the art troupes from Shaanxi to present the concert “Morning Star Lilies Forever”, a key project of the China National Arts Fund, at the Ruins of St. Paul’s, interpreting the vast and magnificent musical pieces and showcasing the vitality of the people of the Yellow Land. In addition. the well-received concert “A Full Moon Night at the Ruins of St. Paul’s 2025” will once again be held on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrating the festival with residents and tourists together under the full moon.

The well-received family musical theatre “Musical Magic Wand” will also return, allowing adults and children to enjoy Chinese music together. Besides, campus concerts, World Heritage concerts and community concerts will continue to be held in the new Concert Season, cultivating the public’s love for Chinese music, actively promoting music education and dissemination, as well as Chinese culture, celebrating festivals with music aficionados through a diverse and rich programme.

Various discounts offered in appreciation of music aficionados’ support

Tickets for the Macao Chinese Orchestra 2025–26 Concert Season are on sale through the Macau Ticketing Network from 29 August (Friday), with various discounts available. In order to celebrate Macao’s designation as a “Culture City of East Asia - Macao, China”, Macao residents who purchase tickets for the Season Opening Concert “Eastern Radiance” can enjoy an exclusive 50% discount. Some programmes will also feature the “Chinese Music Appreciation” Package and the “Discover New Chinese Music” Package. For enquiries, please call 2882 2860 during office hours. 24-hour ticketing hotline: 2855 5555; ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.

The new Concert Season booklets can be obtained at the Macau Ticketing Network outlets for free. The electronic version is available on the Macao Chinese Orchestra’s website at www.ochm-macau.org. For more information about the Macao Chinese Orchestra, please visit the official website of the Orchestra or its respective page on Facebook.