At a time when much of the world is on lockdown, Taiwan's National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan Philharmonic) wishes to share its efforts to keep the live concert experience alive. Thanks to Taiwan's outstanding public health management - the combined efforts of an open government and a diligent public - schools here are still open, businesses running, and NSO is privileged to be among the few symphony orchestras today performing in person at the concert hall. Under the leadership of music director Maestro Shao-Chia Lü, we have partnered with Taiwan Public Television and the National Theatre and Concert Hall to bring our upcoming concerts out to the rest of the world by live streaming.
A joint production of NSO, the National Theatre and Concert Hall, and Taiwan Public Television, these live performances will be broadcast in 4K ultra-high-definition, streaming live and after each concert, free for all to enjoy. We invite global music fans to transcend geographical restrictions to join us in attending these live performances from anywhere.
Founded 33 years ago, NSO is one of the youngest orchestras in the world of classical music. Nevertheless, with its high artistic achievement and creative programming, NSO is not only regarded as Taiwan’s leading orchestra, but also enjoys an excellent reputation among international symphony orchestras.
“The Taiwan Philharmonic is an adventurous symphony orchestra, with excellent skills and high spirit, plucking from the past with an open mind, pushing forward in the future. I am excited and proud to share with European audiences how music flows and flourishes through these musicians' explorations,” says Maestro Shao-Chia Lü.
The first live concert takes place Sunday May 24th, beginning at 19:30 Taiwan time with a warm and bright Dvořák Serenade in D minor, followed by Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C major. Rounding out the set will be Yu-Hsien Deng's "Bang Chhun Hong" ("Longing for the Spring Breeze") (arr. by Tyzen Hsiao).
Bang Chhun Hong is a famous Taiwanese song about expecting hope and love, composed in the 1930s by Teng Yu-hsien, with lyrics by Lee Lin-chiu. The traditional pentatonic scale used by the melody and the special tone fluctuations have been described as canonical examples of Taiwanese song. In the 1970s, Taiwanese composer Tyzen Hsiao adapted Bang Chhun Hong for string ensemble, merging the classical Taiwanese and Western musics, using the refined forms of the latter to bring the former to international audiences. Tyzen Hsiao is famous for his rich tonal style, and his arts songs are standard repertoire in Taiwan. In addition to composing, he performed as a pianist and conductor.
As Hsiao has put it: "Music expresses feelings; I love Formosa [Taiwan], so I actively express this emotion through music and spread it throughout the world."
The second and the third concerts will follow on Saturday May 30 and Friday June 12, featuring Mozart’s Serenade No.10 "Gran Partita,” Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings in E major, and Beethoven’s Fifth and Seventh Symphonies.
Following guidance from Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center, which has managed the country's epidemic response, we've adopted numerous measures to keep our musicians and support team while maintaining the symphony's dedication to musical excellence, in-person rehearsals, recording sessions, and now returning to live performances.
Face masks, hand sanitizer dispensers, and temperature checks for all concert hall entrants were strictly adopted. Additional measures NSO has taken include adjusted orchestra seat layout for increased spacing to 1.5 meters apart, addition of clear plastic guard around orchestra members whose instruments preclude wearing masks, and enhanced disinfection protocols throughout the hall before and after performances.
We thank the CECC for their expert guidance, and the great care they've taken of the Taiwanese people in general, and the members of our team specifically who have worked with them through this challenging period.
NSO particularly appreciates the cooperation of Taiwan Public Television and the National Theatre and Concert Hall for enabling us to deliver a worthy online performance experience. We are excited to continue our musical journey with the music fans in Taipei and around the world.
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2020/5/24 Sun. 19:30
LÜ & NSO I
SHAO-CHIA LÜ, conductor
National Symphony Orchestra
Program：
- Antonín Dvořák: Serenade in D minor, Op.44
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings in C major, Op.48
- Yu-Hsien Deng: Bang Chhun Hong (Longing for the Spring Breeze) (arr. by Tyzen Hsiao)
Streaming Address：https://bit.ly/3fPlOKR
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2020/5/30 Sat. 19:30
LÜ & NSO II
SHAO-CHIA LÜ, conductor
National Symphony Orchestra
Program：
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart：Serenade No.10 "Gran Partita"
- Antonín Dvořák：Serenade for Strings in E major, Op.22
Streaming Address：https://youtu.be/EwwXf04MbHE
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2020/6/12 Fri. 19:30
LÜ & NSO III
SHAO-CHIA LÜ, conductor
National Symphony Orchestra
Program：
- Ludwig Van Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in C Minor, Op.67
- Ludwig Van Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A major, Op.92
Streaming Address：https://youtu.be/akUZH-Pd8bI
