According to a statement by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), the 38th Macao International Music Festival opened at the Macao Cultural Centre (CCM) in Nape on Friday, featuring 10 programmes, a piano camp and 12 community activities under the theme “Silk Resonances” to promote musical dialogue between Chinese and Western cultures.
The opening ceremony was officiated by Acting Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cheng Lei, IC President Deland Leong Wai Man, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, TDM Committee member Vong Vai Hong and Sands China Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Affairs Catherine Kong (江慧賢), the statement said.
The opening performance, “My Grand View Garden – Yue Opera”, was presented by the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe, led by first-class actress Chen Lijun, the statement noted.
The festival will continue with performances by international and local musicians, the statement underlined, noting that Brazilian group Barbatuques* will present “Brazilian Body Beats” at the CCM’s Grand Auditorium tomorrow, using the human body as a musical instrument through rhythm, improvisation and audience interaction.
The performance is held in conjunction with the 2026 China-Brazil Cultural Year, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the statement said that local talent will also feature in “Bravo Macao!”, scheduled for October 31 at the centre’s Small Auditorium, featuring young Macao pianist Chan Chon Teng and musicians from the Macao Orchestra (MO).
The statement noted that composer and conductor Tan Dun will lead the China National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in “Tan Dun Conducts Beethoven’s Ninth and Nine” on November 28, followed by “Tan Dun Conducts Mozart and Beethoven” on November 29, both at the Grand Auditorium.
Tickets are available through the Enjoy Macao Ticketing website at ticketing.enjoymacao.mo. Further programme details and discounts can be found at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm.
* The name Barbatuques is a wordplay combining two elements: Barba – referring to Fernando Barba, the musician who founded the body percussion group in São Paulo in 1996. (Barba is also the Portuguese word for “beard”). Batuques – A Portuguese term meaning percussive rhythms, drumming, or beat-making. Put together, Barbatuques literally means “Barba’s percussion rhythms”. It captures both the name of their late founder and their signature music style, which relies entirely on the human body—clapping, snapping, tapping, and vocalising—to make music. – Gemini
This handout photo provided by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) shows the “My Grand View Garden – Yue Opera” opening performance of the 38th Macao International Music Festival opened at the Macao Cultural Centre (CCM) in Nape on Friday.
