Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg
The 34th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), concluded recently. This year, 11 programmes and outreach activities were successfully held, some of which were broadcast by China Media Group through new media platforms, allowing a wider audience to experience the atmosphere of Macao’s artistic and cultural events. This edition of the Festival enriched the city’s artistic ambience through a variety of music activities, with the overall ticketing sales reaching nearly 95%.
It is the first time the Festival has resumed its normal format since the pandemic, actively exploring a variety of distinctive programmes with the audience. The opening performance Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg and the concert The Butterfly Lovers by Zhang Guoyong and the Macao Chinese Orchestra were and broadcast by China Media Group Mobile and “Radio The Greater Bay” on Wechat Channel and Weibo operated by the China Media Group. In addition, this edition of the Festival also presented the world premiere of Variations of Jade – The Journey of Tang Poetry, and the concert Bravo Macao!, providing a platform for young Macao musicians to showcase their musical talents.
In recent years, electronic ticketing services were fully applied in the MIMF. This year, outlet ticketing, telephone and online booking services were also available simultaneously on the first day of ticket sales, allowing local residents and tourists from the Greater Bay Area to purchase tickets with ease. In terms of publicity, the MIMF continued to carry out online promotion and publication through media from Macao and the Greater Bay Area. A number of programmes were widely reported by the media and art critics at home and abroad, attracting the audience members from the Greater Bay Area to participate in this artistic and cultural event, thus seeking to contribute to the development of a cultural bay area with the advantage of Macao’s cultural resources.
The Festival was also dedicated to break geographical boundaries. In “FIMM-tastic Music and Movie Night”, special recorded programmes by António Zambujo from Portugal and The Tallis Scholars from the United Kingdom were well received by the public. Meanwhile, promotional activities and ticketing services were held at higher education institutions and integrated resorts to engage different types of audiences. A number of outreach activities were held, including talks, workshops and community activities, offering diverse artistic experiences to residents, and attracting nearly 1,500 participants. The well-received “Street Piano Programme” provided platforms for the public to play pianos in various parks and communities, bringing music into every corner of the city. In addition, the organiser actively strengthened the interaction with the public through new media platforms. An online prize game was launched, attracting nearly 10,000 participants. Nearly 8.75 million people were exposed to online advertising.
This edition of the MIMF was supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office, TDM – Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., Air Macau and Sands Resorts Macao, and collaborated with several banks, credit card partners and media partners in publicity campaigns. IC will continue to organise artistic and cultural events for residents and tourists, in a bid to enliven the city’s cultural atmosphere and enrich the cultural tourism experience of residents and tourists.
