Our Multicultural Orchestra
Founded in 2018, our Multicultural Orchestra (MO) showcases a combination of Chinese and Western instruments in their repertoire. Although there are similar musical ensembles of this nature already, and it is not a new idea at all, the establishment of this MO in a non-profit environment was considered, undoubtedly, a very challenging project which ADM decided to develop.
With 15 years of experience in this artistic area, as a result of numerous performances of its Chinese Music Group (CMG) in Canada, Macau and Portugal, ADM feels it has reached a stage to “re-vitalize” and form an orchestra to elevate its current quality level of musical presentation and to give continuity to its initial objective: to promote Macao and its culture in a more complete way.
The MO is made up of 15 members, including its conductor. There are performers who play Western instruments, including violin, viola, guitar, violoncello, double-bass and drums; and performers of Oriental instruments: erwu, gaowu, zheng, yangqin, dizi, pipa, sheng and ruan. Although both groups have various distinct characteristics, its aim is to promote the richness and diversity of the musical heritage of Portugal and Macau. Hence, part of the repertoire to be interpreted by the new MO are pieces “inherited” from the current CMG, which will also form the basis for the orchestra to perform many other innovative and foreign melodies, which we believe will further delight and entertain its audiences in the years to come.
In 2019, MO had the opportunity to travel overseas, and among its activities, MO travelled to Macau to perform during the celebrations of the 20th Anniversary of Macao SAR, together with “Zhongshan Youth Music Orchestra”, as well as Nanhai, China, to participate in a cultural exchange program between Canada and Nanhai. During this Far East tour, MO have developed an extensive musical program, complete with new musical arrangements originating from the United States, Brazil, China and Canada itself and other historic Macanese and Portuguese songs inherited from the counterpart CMG.