The 15th Macao International Music Festival will be held here from September 28to October 21.

The event,featuring 20colorful performances,will be the most splendid music festival in Macao,with the world's renowned artists and orchestras,Ho Lai Chun,president of the Cultural Institute of the special administrative region (SAR),said Wednesday at a press conference.

Participating music bodies will include London's BBC Symphony Orchestra,the Vienna Boys'Choir,the Haydn String Quartet of Austria and the Italian International Orchestra.

During the 24-day festival,audience will have the chance to appreciate first-class operas,concerts,ballets,orchestral pieces and pop songs,Ho said.The highlights of the festival will be the opera "La Traviata"to commemorate the famous 19th century Italian composer Giuseppe Fortunino F.Verdi,who died in 1901,she said.

The Tourist Office of the SAR government is publicizing the gala through overseas and local media in a bid to lure more tourists.Dozens of Hong Kong and Macao journalists showed great enthusiasm for the festival at Wednesday's press conference.

(Eastday.com.cn 06/21/2001)