Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the 27th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) brings 22 outstanding shows to the territory from October 2nd to November 3rd 2013. The Festival presents a rich variety of musical performances, including opera, musical theatre, chamber music, jazz, choral music, Portuguese Fado and Cantonese Naamyam, counting with renowned soloists and catering to music lovers' different tastes. The Festival's offering of symphonic music begins with a concert by the Gulbenkian Orchestra, which, steered by recently appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Consultant Paul McCreesh, returns to Macao after a long absence, presenting a programme featuring works by Luís de Freitas Branco (Duas Melodias), Brazilian composer Ney Rosauro (Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra) and by Antonín Dvorák (Symphony No.9 in E minor, op. 95 "From the New World"). Established in 1962 by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as a mere twelve-piece ensemble, the Gulbenkian Orchestra today boasts a permanent body of sixty-six musicians and a repertoire spanning from the classical period to the 20th century. Each season, in addition to giving their regular series of concerts in the Portuguese capital, the Orchestra travels to perform at numerous other venues throughout Portugal and around the world. A concert not to be missed by one of Portugal's most prestigious and talented orchestras! Portuguese Fado, a regular presence on local stages, joins Cantonese Naamyam for a unique concert uniting Western and Eastern folk music expressions. Fado emerged in the middle of the 19th century, becoming more widely known in the 20th century and taking to the international arena by the hand of famous singer Amália Rodrigues. In recent decades, a new generation of young singers has given Fado a new impetus, leading to its recognition by UNESCO as an item of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011. The Cantonese Naamyam (Narrative Songs) were originally sung by blind artists as a form of musical storytelling, with lyrics reflecting the hopelessness endemic to the lower classes of society. Following the art's heyday in the 1950s, when the songs were promoted on radio broadcasts, Naamyam fell into a decline, with only vestiges enduring as part of Cantonese Opera. Better understood today, they were inscribed on the Tentative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Items of the Macao S.A.R. in 2009 and on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. A highlight of this MIMF season is the violin recital by Kyung-Wha Chung. Undeniably one of the leading violinists in the world today, Kyung-Wha Chung, throughout her life as a violin soloist and recitalist, has garnered global recognition of the very highest stature. She was awarded the South Korean Government's highest honour in 1972 and the Ho-Am Prize in the Arts in 2011, among numerous other honours. Tickets for the 27th Macao International Music Festival can be purchased at all Kong Seng Ticketing outlets, by telephone and through online booking. A variety of discount plans will be offered. For more information related to the 27th MIMF, please visit the Festival's website at: www.icm.gov.mo/fimm.
