In order to mark the 100th anniversary of North-American composer Leonard Bernstein, the Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the concert “Leonard Bernstein’s 100th Anniversary by Lio Kuokman and the Macao Orchestra” on 24 February, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Led by Lio Kuokman, a renowned musician hailing from Macao, the concert offers a programme dedicated to Leonard Bernstein. Lio Kuokman also takes on the role of pianist and reveals his great talent in a solo performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. In conjunction with the theme of this concert season “Along with the musical joy”, the Orchestra specially organizes the activity “Music Hour with Lio Kuokman”, on 23 February, at 7pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Conference Room. Admission is free and reservations are available through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours.
Praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer as “a startling conducting talent”, Lio Kuokman was the winner of the Second Prize (the First Prize was not awarded), the Audience Prize and the Orchestra Prize at the Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition held in Paris in 2014, and was selected by the Principal Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, as Assistant Conductor of the ensemble, therefore becoming the first Chinese conductor in this position at the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is currently serving as the Orchestra’s Asia Residency Artistic Advisor and Conductor. Lio was further awarded a Certificate of Commendation and a Medal of Cultural Merit from the Governments of Hong Kong and Macao, in recognition of his contributions to arts and culture. Lio is also an outstanding pianist and has performed as soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata Salzburg, the Bacau Philharmonic of Romania, the China National Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, among others.
The concert “Leonard Bernstein’s 100th Anniversary by Lio Kuokman and the Macao Orchestra” features musical pieces by the great 20th century composer, Leonard Bernstein, including excerpts from the Fancy Free Ballet and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, among others. In addition, Lio Kuokman also will perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, seeking to break the barrier between “classical” and “popular”, revealing to the audience the charm created by the collision and fusion between the classical and the popular.
Tickets for the concert “Leonard Bernstein’s 100th Anniversary by Lio Kuokman and the Macao Orchestra” are priced at MOP250, MOP200 and MOP150, and various discount packages are available. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details and enquiries about the programme, please visit OM’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/om.
