The month-long 37th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) kicked off on Friday, featuring 12 programmes and 14 outreach activities, including “The Yellow River” composed by Macau-born Xian Xinghai* on November 7, showcasing a wide range of musical pieces.
The annual music-fest is organised by the Macau Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC).
Friday’s opening ceremony was held at the Macau Cultural Centre in Zape on Friday, after which the “Carmen – Opera in Four Acts by Georges Bizet” was performed.
IC Acting President Cheang Kai Meng said in his speech that event, themed “Vocal Waves”, aimed to enhance classic, modern, eastern and western musical dialogue and exchange in the community.
Cheang added that in commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 120th anniversary of Xian Xinghai’s birth, the festival includes two commemorative concerts – “River of Legacy” and “The Yellow River”, respectively, offering “uplifting wartime songs to commemorate history, honour martyrs and promote patriotism.”
Meanwhile, on Saturday (October 11), in the “Cuca Roseta and the Macao Chinese Orchestra”, the well-known Portuguese fado singer will join hands with the local ensemble to interpret the “sound of Portuguese soul” and explore the themes of love, loss, longing, and destiny with the unique touch of the Portuguese guitar, the statement said.
Cuca Roseta is a Portuguese fado singer, composer, and model. Born in Lisbon in 1981, she is widely considered to be one of the most important fado representatives of her generation.
Two sessions of “A Curated Showcase of This Victoria Has No Secrets – the A Cappella Theatre” will be held in an open space adjacent to Flower City Park in Taipa (near Rua de Seng Tou) and Areia Preta Urban Park (near the Health Centre), respectively, the statement said, adding that the Yat Po Singers from Hong Kong’s “a cappella” choral theatre will evoke the history and memories of the shores of Victoria Harbour with vocals.
According to their website (https://yatposingers.org/en/ourteam/), Yat Po Singers are the first professional “a cappella” choral theatre company in Hong Kong.
According to AI chatbot DeepSeek, “a cappella” is music sung by voices alone, without any instrumental accompaniment. The term is Italian in origin, meaning “in the manner of the chapel”. This reflects its history in religious music, where voices were used without instruments in church worship.
Besides, the Cultural Affairs Bureau said at Friday’s press conference that “Music on the Big Screen: Cinematheque•Passion” will feature several film screenings, allowing the audience to gain an in-depth understanding and get close to diverse aspects of music, to enhance their artistic appreciation.
Cinematheque•Passion is a government-owned arthouse cinema on a lane near the Ruins of St Paul’s.
For more information about the programmes, tickets and offers for the 37th Macao International Music Festival, please visit Enjoy MacaoTicketing (ticketing.enjoymacao.mo) , the Festival’s webpage( www.icm.gov.mo/fimm) or Facebook (“Macao International Music Festival”).
*The Post article by William Chan, published on September 29, headlined “Macau Band Directors Association (MBDA) to hold Xian Xinghai concert” was about the October 4 concert “Song of Resistance: Xian Xinghai and the Classic of Mountains and Seas – Clarinet Commemorative Concert”, which culminated with a selection from Macau-born musician Xian Xinghai’s various compositions about the Yellow River, one of the nation’s greatest composers. https://www.macaupostdaily.com/news/26146
The Post also published an editorial on September 1 about a film, a China-Kazakhstan coproduction, about Xian Xinghai, his music and patriotism, headlined “‘The Composer’ – honouring Macau’s most famous son and marking the nation’s WWII victory”.
https://www.macaupostdaily.com/news/25860
This handout photo provided by Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) shows a scene of “Carmen – Opera in Four Acts by Georges Bizet” performed at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) in Zape on Friday, one of programmes of the 37th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF).
This poster downloaded from the MacaoTicketing’s website promotes the 37th Macao International Music Festival being held from October 3 through November 8.
