Sands Performing Arts Program Successfully Concludes 2023 Season
Four world-class performing art projects introduced to date
Bolstering Macao's art and tourism experience
10 captivating shows attract over 11,000 visits
(Macao, Aug 30, 2023) – Launched by Sands China Ltd., the Sands Performing Arts Program 2023 brought a total of 10 top-notch national and international performances to Macao from May to August, attracting over 11,000 audience members.
This year's program of performances concluded following the successful staging of the mesmerising dance drama, Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting Aug. 24-28 at The Venetian Theatre. In addition to this show, the Sands Performing Arts Program 2023 showcased a series of captivating performances: the play "The Peony Pavilion," performed during the final round of the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award competition; the wildly acclaimed and legendary Cantonese opera performance Floral Princess; and Vienna-based quartet Janoska Ensemble's unique interpretations of classical pieces.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said: "As an integrated resort operator rooted in Macao for 20 years, we recognise Macao's significant role in Lingnan culture and its strong ties to Portuguese-speaking countries. We are pleased to leverage our diverse resources through the Sands Performing Arts Program, continually bringing world-class performance art projects from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Europe, as well as promoting artistic exchange between Macao and other regions. Our goal is to create a vibrant atmosphere for art appreciation while expanding our audience base, thus laying a solid foundation for the development of Macao's local creative and cultural industries.
"By hosting exchange activities with top international artists during their visits, we also hope to increase local community participation in arts and culture. This helps further solidify Macao's international image as a cultural destination. We are fully committed to supporting the Macao SAR government's policy of moderate economic diversification and its 'tourism+' and 'culture+' initiatives, and we will continue introducing eagerly anticipated world-class art projects to enrich the cultural and artistic experience for both Macao residents and visitors."
The Peony Pavilion
The Kunqu Opera play "The Peony Pavilion," a final-round performance for the 31st China Theatre Plum Blossom Award competition, was staged on May 16 at The Venetian Theatre. Luo Chenxue, an artist from the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, won the grand prize with her truly exceptional performance. It was the first time the competition was staged in Macao since the establishment of the Plum Blossom Award. The performance conveyed the connotations of both humanity and art implied in the classical masterpiece written by Tang Xianzu, while demonstrating the vibrancy of Kunqu opera. It garnered wide acclaim and attracted a large number of young audience members to appreciate this classical Chinese performing art.
The China Theatre Plum Blossom Award is a nationwide professional award for theatre performance, co-organised by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Theatre Association, and approved by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. It is hailed as the highest accolade for Chinese theatre performing arts and recognises the most significant and outstanding performers in their respective genres.
Floral Princess 65th Anniversary Macao 2023
With its profoundly long and rich history, Cantonese opera was inscribed onto the UNESCO list of 'Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage Humanity' in 2009. With the aim of contributing to the inheritance of this intangible cultural heritage, Sands China presented the Floral Princess 65th Anniversary Macao 2023 performance July 28-30 at The Venetian Theatre. Created by Utopia Cantonese Opera Workshop, it made a successful debut in Macao with three shows, welcomed by a full-house audience.
The lead roles of Floral Princess and Consort Chow were played by a different mix of trans-generational actors in each performance, namely Liang Zhaoming, Monica Bai, Wang Zhiliang, Lin Yingshi, Lee Lung and Nan Fung. The show went beyond tradition, fusing art and technology: a grand mobile stage design, projections, lighting, rearranged music, and tailor-made Harmonic Canto-opera Audio (HCA) for magnificent brand-new contemporary visuals and theatre acoustics. With these unique features, the show engaged audiences of different age groups and backgrounds to enjoy the aesthetics of Cantonese opera.
In addition, Sands China was pleased to invite the show's controller Chan Sinn Gi, director Rex Ng and cast member Monica Bai to attend a workshop July 21 at the main building of the General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau, where they exchanged artistic ideas with tutors and members from the Macao Youth Cantonese Opera Culture and Art Development Association. The association members exemplified their passion toward traditional Cantonese opera culture by enthusiastically performing various classic Cantonese opera excerpts at the workshop. Afterward, they benefited from the invaluable guidance of the experienced Cantonese opera veterans.
Janoska Ensemble Macao 2023
The Janoska Ensemble played to a full house during their Macao debut Aug. 19 at The Parisian Theatre. Hailing from Vienna, the Janoska Ensemble is a celebrated family quartet – in their seventh generation – known for their distinctive and contemporary interpretations of classical music. The internationally renowned ensemble's Macao tour left the audience enchanted with their skilled and unique improvisation techniques and received thunderous applause. Their Macao tour, part of the ensemble's The Big B's World Tour, showcased music from their latest album, "The Big B's," which pays tribute to the great 'B' composers, including Bach, Brahms, Beethoven and even The Beatles.
Furthermore, Sands China organised a masterclass Aug. 18 with the ensemble, giving 18 young Macao and Hong Kong music enthusiasts a unique opportunity to learn from the musicians. They were privileged to receive personalised guidance from the ensemble, who generously shared their expertise and insights after listening to the participants' performances. The interactive masterclass also featured the collective improvisation for which the Janoska Ensemble is renowned, creating an immersive and collaborative experience.
Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting
The dance show Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting was inspired by a world-renowned Chinese landscape painting 'A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains' – painted by Wang Ximeng during the northern Song dynasty period. Through the genre of 'poetic dance,' the show sought to take the audience on a journey where they could wander in the midst of legendary and charming traditional Chinese aesthetics through characters and emotions that transcended time and space. It was a testament to the integration of culture, art and dance, immersing the audience in the painting more than ever before. Notably, this extraordinary experience also marked the introduction of a new wave of 'Guochao aesthetics' in Macao.
Produced by the Palace Museum, the China Oriental Performing Arts Group and People.cn Co. Ltd., the enthralling dance show has received immense acclaim since its debut in 2021, including winning the 17th Wenhua Grand Prize. It has been presented more than 300 times in mainland China, and its Macao tour marked its first performance outside the mainland.
The Sands Performing Arts Program is aimed at broadening the scope of performing arts in Macao by introducing and promoting premier national local and overseas performing art projects. The program fully utilizes Macao's role as a platform of international exchange, in alignment with the Macao SAR government's vision for the integrated tourism and leisure industry.
Beyond performing arts, Sands China presents guests with a diverse array of art exhibitions through its permanent, upscale exhibition space, Sands Gallery. Since launching the gallery in 2022, Sands China has organised seven art exhibitions featuring Chinese and international artists, in a bid to introduce a greater diversity of art exhibitions to Macao to promote art appreciation and foster the growth of both Macao and regional artists.
In order to further promote the development of Macao's tourism industry, Sands China will continue to introduce a wide range of art, cultural, music and sports events, with the aim of providing a variety of entertainment offerings – highlighting the diverse charm of Macao and strengthening Macao's position as a world centre of tourism and leisure.
Photo caption: The cast and crew of The Peony Pavilion, guests, and Sands China management team members gather together on stage after the show at The Venetian Theatre on May 16.
Photo caption: Actor Lee Lung (right) and actress Nan Fung (left) perform on The Venetian Theatre stage July 30 for the presentation of Floral Princess 65th Anniversary Macao 2023 as part of the Sands Performing Arts Program. Created by Utopia Cantonese Opera Workshop, it made a successful debut in Macao with three shows, welcomed by a full-house audience.
Photo caption: The cast and crew of Floral Princess 65th Anniversary Macao 2023, guests, and Sands China management team members gather together on stage after the show at The Venetian Theatre on July 28.
Photo caption: The Floral Princess 65th Anniversary Macao 2023's controller Chan Sinn Gi, director Rex Ng and cast member Monica Bai attend a workshop July 21 at the main building of the General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau, where they exchanged artistic ideas with tutors and members from the Macao Youth Cantonese Opera Culture and Art Development Association.
Photo caption: The Janoska Ensemble performs Aug. 19 at The Parisian Theatre as part of the Sands Performing Arts Program; the internationally renowned ensemble's Macao debut left the audience enchanted with their skilled and unique improvisation techniques.
Photo caption: Eighteen young Macao and Hong Kong music enthusiasts attend the Janoska Ensemble masterclass Aug. 18 at The Parisian Theatre. The masterclass gave participants a unique opportunity to receive personalised guidance from the ensemble, who generously shared their expertise and insights after listening to the participants' performances.
Photo caption: Guests gather together with the musicians and crew of The Janoska Ensemble Macao 2023 performance, as well as Sands China management team members, on stage after the show at The Parisian Theatre on Aug. 19.
Photo caption: The mesmerising dance drama, Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, was performed on stage Aug. 24-28 at The Venetian Theatre, as part of the Sands Performing Arts Program. Through the genre of 'poetic dance,' the show sought to take the audience on a journey where they could wander in the midst of legendary and charming traditional Chinese aesthetics through characters and emotions that transcended time and space.
Photo caption: The cast and crew of Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, guests, and Sands China management team members gather together on stage after the show at The Venetian Theatre on Aug. 24.