MACAO YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Sydney Town Hall was the venue for a recent concert by the Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra as part of their Australian tour. Music lovers were delighted to experience the varied classical programme performed during the evening by this very professional youth orchestra, whose members’ ages ranged from pre-teens to young adults.

Founded in 1997, the Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra has given more than two hundred public performances. The Orchestra, which draws its members from local universities, secondary and primary schools, strives to keep its initial objectives of providing musical training and performing opportunities for the local youth, many of whom have decided to make music a career.

Mike Smith, Jimson, Hoi Kin Wa, Ms Wong, Helen Wong

By regular training from guest instructors from Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China, the Orchestra works to improve the standard of the students’ music appreciation and performance. In January 2010, the Orchestra was awarded the Order of Merit in Culture by the government of the Macau Special Administrative Region of China.

The orchestra has previously performed in Washington’s Kennedy Centre, the Berlin Konzerhaus, Singapore’s Victoria Hall, Salzburger Mozarteum and the National Grand Theatre in Beijing, as well as tours to Prague, Vienna, the Florence International Youth Festival in 2014, Shanghai’s Summer Festival, Ao Lago Festival in Lisbon and many more.

Sandra Tiltman         Photos: John Pond

FESTIVE MACAO CELEBRATES

Historic Macao – Photo: John Pond

Macao will mark the 400^th anniversary of the death of world literary giant William Shakespeare when the former Portuguese enclave hosts its 27^th Macao Arts Festival from 30 April 2016.

This year’s theme for the month long festival that runs until 29 May is “Time: Reshape your Imagination. Experience the Spirit of Times”. Another highlight will be the 400th anniversary of the death of Ming Dynasty’s famed Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu.

Modern Macao – Photo: John Pond

The Macao Arts Festival will salute the works of Shakespeare and Xianzu through theatre. The Festival kicks off with a dramatic stage performance of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, rendered by the Shakespeare Theatre Company from the USA.

The Festival program will feature as many as 27 shows and artistic exhibitions, along with more than 100 activities to “bring the audience into the spaces of the Chinese and Western cultures”. There will also be plenty of song and dance and family activities during the Festival, along with indoor and outdoor theatrical performances.

Dinosaurs have also found their way to Macao, where The Living Dinosaurs expo is on until 11 September 2016. Venture to the Science Centre where you will make huge strides in learning about dinosaurs at an exhibition that includes fourteen mechanical replica dinosaurs.

With the 2016 calendar packed full of colourful festivities and a program of events such as the annual A-Ma Festival, Procession of Our Lady Mercy, Feast of the Drunken Dragon, the Macao Dragon Boat Festival, Feast of Hungry Ghosts, the International Fireworks Display Contest, Mid Autumn Festival, Macao City Fringe Festival and International Music Festival, there is always something happening whatever time of the year you plan to visit Macao.

Photo: John Pond

November will be packed with events, highlighted by the 63^rd running of the Macao Grand Prix, the 16^th Macao Food Festival, the annual Marathon and the spectacular Light Festival similar to Sydney’s Vivid.

Macao gives visitors the very unique experience of a modern city blended with its Portuguese past. With a huge selection of four and five star hotels to choose from, wonderful restaurants offering the best in Asian and Portuguese cuisine, plus everything else in between, Macao is a destination that will delight.

Sandra Tiltman

MACAU FOOD FESTIVAL

Macau Tourism’s Mike Smith with Sandra Tiltman

The Macau Government Tourist Office recently launched the Macau Food Festival in Feast Restaurant at Sydney’s Sheraton on the Park.

Macanese cuisine is a mixture of Chinese, Portuguese, Indian, African and Malay that has evolved over 500 years of Portuguese history in the tiny Asian centre.

This is the second successive year the Food Festival has been held at the hotel and will showcase a selection of new dishes, along with Macau food specialities including Galinha A Portuguesa and Macanese Curry Prawns, which will be featured at Feast Restaurant’s famous daily buffet, both during lunch and dinner, plus all the usual favourites and seafood found at this outstanding buffet.

The Macau Food Festival will be available at Sheraton on the Park until 20 October.

As part of the Macau Festival, family friendly events will be held in Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park over the weekend of 19-20 October.

Sandra Tiltman   Photo:  John Pond