GUANGZHOU CULTURE AND ARTS FESTIVAL BLENDS GLOBAL TALENT WITH LOCAL FLAIR

_{The fifth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival kicked off at the Guangzhou Opera House on the evening of September 16.}

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 (Bernama) -- The fifth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Culture and Arts Festival kicked off recently at the Guangzhou Opera House, spotlighting a month-long celebration of art, music, and performance across 11 cities in the GBA.

Co-sponsored by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Guangdong Provincial Government, and the Governments of the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, the festival features more than 100 performances, 19 exhibitions, and over 150 community events.

According to a statement, the programmes will fall into five categories, namely the “Arts in the Bay” performance series, “Resonance in Arts” lectures, “Shared Aesthetics” exhibitions, “Art in Daily Life” public activities, and the “Radiance of Arts” performing arts fair.

The opening concert, “Symphony of the Greater Bay Area”, presented seven original compositions showcasing Guangdong’s recent symphonic achievements.

International acts add global prestige to the festival, with the Greek National Opera making its China debut with La Traviata, and Matthew Bourne presenting his groundbreaking all-male reinterpretation of Swan Lake. Russia’s Vakhtangov Theatre brings acclaimed productions of Eugene Onegin and Uncle Vanya, while five celebrated musical theatre stars, including Brad Little, deliver powerful performances of 26 classic numbers.

Upcoming performances will further enrich the programme with the French musical Molière in October, China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater’s Confucius, the National Theatre of China’s The Yellow Storm, and Shanghai Yue Opera House’s adaptation of A Dream of Red Mansions.

Furthermore, Guangdong Yue Opera Theatre will stage Samsui Women, celebrating female resilience, while the Southern Song and Dance Troupe’s I Like You blends Yingge Dance with contemporary theatre.

A central component of this year’s edition is the “Radiance of Arts” showcase—the 16th China (Guangzhou) International Performing Arts Fair, scheduled for Sept 25 to 28, with the participation of nearly 300 institutions from 20 countries and regions, presenting nearly 1,000 productions.

By combining world-class productions with community engagement, the festival enriches cultural life in the GBA and strengthens the region’s position as a hub for international performing arts.

-- BERNAMA