“Buddha Passion” was presented by MGM and renowned Chinese-born American conductor and composer Tan Dun (谭盾) at the MGM Theatre in cotai on Monday and Tuesday, marking its first showing in Macau, the integrated resort operator said in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement noted that the two-day event was a tribute to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland, apart from having been an “unprecedented artistic breakthrough by MGM and Tan Dun”, who composed and scripted the show.
The statement said that the show achieved its first-ever immersive fusion of music and technology to present Dunhuang’s mural stories of reclining Buddha’s Nirvana and Deer of Nine Colours, among others, through digitalisation.
Dunhuang city is in Gansu province.
Tan Dun was quoted by the statement as saying: “Under the thriving cultural tourism scene of Macau, our performances drew in many international tourists, allowing us to form a strengthened bridge to connect the world and send peaceful messages through our music.”
Tan, the statement said, is known as one of the “Top 10 Important Musicians on the World’s Music Scene”. He dedicated six years and paid over 10 visits to Dunhuang to create “Buddha Passion”, his masterpiece, which is inspired by the Dunhuang Mogao Cave murals, while its composition comprises six acts.
The masterpiece is globally known for its range of styles “to present the stories and wisdom along the Silk Road”, the statement said. The show also featured various Dunhuang ancient instrument performers and international performers.
MGM China Holdings Limited Chairperson & Executive Director Pansy Ho Chiu King was also quoted as saying: The show is distinctive in its originality and world-class standard, in which MGM and Tan Dun combined our ingenuity and leveraged the advanced technology of the MGM Theatre to create a one-of-its-kind symphonic ode to Silk Road cultures shared by Macau and Dunhuang.
Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Edmund Ho Hau Wah; Legislative Assembly President Kou Hoi In; and Shi Lin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Jiuquan Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC Dunhuang Municipal Committee, were among the event’s attendees.
This undated handout photo provided by MGM on Wednesday shows Buddha Passion taking place at MGM COTAI’s theatre.
