Following a decade of development, the Macao Orchestra (OM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau de Macau (CAB) presents a new concert season and high-quality performances by several internationally ranked musicians. The 2013-2014 season will kick off on September 14 with a performance by Cyprien Katsaris, a gifted pianist known for his highly skilled interpretations of Liszt's works. The new season will include over thirty concerts; tickets will be available from August 18 at all Kong Seng Ticketing Network outlets. Cyprien Katsaris, acclaimed for his technique, experience and artistic achievements, has been hailed by the New York Times as "an intense personality; his style has led him to surpass all of the contemporary piano schools." In over four decades dedicated to his art, Katsaris has been received a total of sixteen awards in prominent international piano competitions, such as the International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium International Competition. The pianist will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37, his most creative and representative composition, at this season's opening concert, "The Great Beethoven", joining OM and its Music Director and Principal Conductor, Lü Jia.
In this season, OM will also collaborate with other renowned musicians, such as as young Swedish conductor Daniel Blendulf, one of today's most promising Chinese young musicians the pianist Song Siheng, the lengendary Chinese violinist Lü Siqing and winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition Barry Douglas. These guest artists will bring Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff's classics, among others, to local stages. In order to promote opera among local citizens and music lovers, OM will premiere in Macau Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale (L'Histoire du soldat), and will also present opera overtures and ballet suites. The chamber music concerts at the Dom Pedro V Theatre have already become a highlight of each concert season, presenting a series of innovative concerts and allowing audiences to admire the interpreters' virtuosity. As customary, the Orchestra will once again perform at the Macao International Music Festival. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Verdi's birth, OM joins the Latvia National Opera in presenting "Aida – Opera in 4 acts by Giuseppe Verdi", and also collaborates with the Korean Chamber Orchestra in bringing stirring renditions of Richard Strauss' masterpieces in the concert A Hero's Life. This new season further includes concerts at St. Dominic's Church and other World Heritage sites, the Education and the Devotion Series. Through diversified musical activities, OM hopes to bring music to the whole community. Tickets for OM's 2012-2013 Concert Season will be available from August 18 at all Kong Seng Ticketing Network outlets as well as through the number 2855 5555. For more information, please visit OM's website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.
