Taipei, Jan. 25 (CNA) Music fans from Taiwan said on Friday they loved the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's performance in Taipei that day and that the orchestra's visit offers a unique opportunity for local music lovers to enjoy concerts by world-class orchestras.
"It was very exciting. I'm very satisfied," said Chen Yu-cheng, a graduate student in music, who attended the concert with his parents.
Chen, 25, told CNA that he thought the orchestra interpreted its concert pieces in a "more casual and outgoing" way compared with orchestras from Europe.
While internationally-renowned musicians do visit Taiwan, Chen said the orchestra's visit offers a rare opportunity for Taiwanese audiences, as the world's top orchestras do not visit Taiwan very often.
Led by Finnish conductor Osmo Vanska, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra held a classical music program on Friday night at the National Concert Hall. It will present an evening of Beethoven the following night in Taipei.
Vanska was called in to substitute for Italian conductor Riccardo Muti, who had to pull out of the orchestra's Asia tour because he is being treated for a hernia.
The orchestra performed Mozart's Symphony No. 41 in C Major "Jupiter," Felix Mendelssohn's "Violin Concerto in E minor," and Brahms' "Symphony No. 2 in D Major" on Friday.
The orchestra's Taiwan-born concertmaster Robert Chen played the violin solo in the Mendelssohn piece. The audience gave a big applause after the performance and Chen reappeared on the stage several times to thank the crowd.
Tseng Po-wei, 22, also a music major, said he was most impressed by Chen's performance.
"His performance blended harmoniously with the orchestra's,” said the music lover.
Sabrina Hou, 16, told CNA prior to the concert that she had come to the concert because she wanted to listen to the live performance of the orchestra, whose music she has heard on the Internet.
Chen and principle percussionist Cynthia Yeh were among the two musicians who were highly anticipated by fans as they were both born in Taiwan.
Chen has been concertmaster of the symphony since 1999, the first Taiwan-born musician to assume that position for a Big Five orchestra in the United States.
He began his violin studies at the age of seven and at age 10 he moved to Los Angeles with his family, where he studied with Robert Lipsett. He later earned a masters degree from the Julliard School.
Chen has performed as a soloist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan and others.
Yeh, who began learning piano at the age of 4 and percussion in high school, joined the orchestra as a principle percussionist in 2007.
Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov will be featured in the orchestra's performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Violin Concerto in D Major" on Saturday.
Founded in 1891, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has made some 40 overseas tours since 1971. Taipei is the first leg of the orchestra's Asian tour, which also includes cities in China and South Korea.
(By Christie Chen)
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