The 37^th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), concluded successfully. Themed “Vocal Waves”, this edition of the Festival presented 14 sessions of 12 spectacular programmes and 19 sessions of 14 outreach activities. Over 650 performers presented a succession of exceptional music performances to music aficionados. As one of the signature cultural events in Macao, the Festival fosters an artistic allure in the city that celebrates tradition and embraces innovation, offering a captivating musical feast that transcends Eastern and Western civilisations.

Renowned musician Lio Kuokman once again served as the Festival’s programming director, in collaboration with IC’s team to curate a number of music performances that combined visual and auditory enjoyment, offering a star-studded line-up. In commemoration of the 80^th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 120^th Anniversary of the birth of Xian Xinghai, the MIMF specially organized two concerts, River of Legacy, by the Macao Chinese Orchestra, and The Yellow River, by the Macao Orchestra in collaboration with local pianist Cheong Hoi Leong. In commemoration of the 150^th anniversary of the death of composer Georges Bizet, SJM and the MIMF co-presented Carmen – Opera in Four Acts by Georges Bizet. Other highlights included Mikhail Pletnev and the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra presented by Melco Resorts & Entertainment, which performed the complete set of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos; the concert Cuca Roseta and the Macao Chinese Orchestra presented by Portuguese Fado diva Cuca Roseta and the Macao Chinese Orchestra; as well as the innovative classic The Four Seasons presented by violinist Daniel Hope and the Gstaad Festival Orchestra from Switzerland. In addition, the Festival also featured numerous music masters, offering a musical feast in the year of the programme “Culture City of East Asia – Macao, China”. This edition of the MIMF also included two charity sessions for higher education students, inviting them to enjoy a series of performances and experience the beauty of music.

The MIMF also actively sought to enhance communications with the audience through different platforms, with the promotion on new media and internet platforms reaching over 8.1 million people. The MIMF continued to be announced and promoted online through media channels from Macao and the Greater Bay Area. A number of programmes were widely reported by the media and art critics at home and abroad, receiving enthusiastic participation and acclaim from audiences in different regions, further enhancing Macao’s image as a “City of Performing Arts”. Meanwhile, the Festival engaged different types of audiences by holding talks, workshops, community activities and film screenings, offering diverse artistic experiences. These events, coupled with the performances, attracted over nearly 8,000 participants.

This edition of the MIMF was supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office, TDM – Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., Air Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Sands China Ltd. and SJM Resort, S.A. It also counted with the cooperation with various banks, credit card partners and media partners, which widely promoted the Festival.

In the future, IC will continue to leverage the reputation and influence of the Macao International Music Festival to establish a platform for international exchange, attract renowned performances and support the development of local music, thus enhancing Macao’s brand as a “City of Performing Arts”, leveraging Macao’s role as a “base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist” and contributing to the development of a cultured Greater Bay Area.