“The Butterfly Lovers” Ballet to be presented in early November A new interpretation of the classic Chinese love story

MACAU, October 4 - Presented by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), Macao Orchestra Company, Limited and SJM Resorts, S.A., the Macao Orchestra x Hong Kong Ballet: “The Butterfly Lovers” Ballet will be held at 8pm on 9 November and at 2:30pm on 10 November, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Adapted by the choreographer Hu Song Wei Ricky and his wife Mai Jingwen, the Ballet will be presented by the Macao Orchestra, featuring original score by acclaimed Chinese composer Tian Mi, who drew inspiration from “The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto”, offering an audio-visual artistic feast to the public.

Based on the well-known timeless love story, this adaptation of “The Butterfly Lovers”, part of the Macao Orchestra 2024-25 Concert Season, will perfectly fuse Chinese aesthetics with modern styles in the choreography by Hu Song Wei Ricky, Choreographer-in-Residence of the Hong Kong Ballet (HKB), and his wife Mai Jingwen. The Ballet will also feature stunning sets and costumes by Oscar-winning designer Tim Yip, taking the light tailoring of Western dance costumes as the base for the design of Chinese costumes, as well as the backdrop crafted with folding screens in different shapes that produce a visual effect blending illusion and reality. In addition, the sweeping original score for this Ballet was composed by renowned Chinese composer Tian Mi, who drew inspiration from He Zhanhao and Chen Gang’s “The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto”. Under the baton of the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Orchestra, Lio Kuokman, the Orchestra will perform the composition over two consecutive days, sharing the legendary story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai with audiences. Following its world premiere in October in Hong Kong, the brand-new Ballet will be staged in November in Macao, promising a fresh and captivating experience.

The Macao Orchestra 2024-25 Concert Season is co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao Orchestra Company, Limited, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM, Sands China Ltd., SJM Resorts, S.A. and Wynn Resorts (Macau), S.A., and supported by BOC Macau. The Macao Orchestra x Hong Kong Ballet: “The Butterfly Lovers” Ballet is title-sponsored by SJM Resorts, S.A. and will last approximately two hours with an interval. Tickets are on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network at the prices of MOP400, MOP300, MOP250 and MOP180. The public can purchase tickets through the Macau Ticketing Network. 24-hour ticketing hotline: 2855 5555; online ticketing: www.macauticket.com.