TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) will embark on a European tour in April, performing seven concerts across Switzerland, Germany, and France.
Building on the success of their 2023 "Taiwan Philharmonic" tour in the U.S. and Japan, Music Director Jun Markl will lead the NSO on this new venture. With support from the Ministry of Culture, the "From Formosa" tour will feature a diverse repertoire showcasing established and contemporary works.
To warm up the European tour, the NSO will collaborate with violinist Paul Huang (黃俊文) for Tchaikovsky's beloved Violin Concerto in Tainan Cultural Center on March 16 and National Concert Hall on March 17.
Huang is a recipient of the prestigious Ivory Fisher Career Grant and Lincoln Center Awards for Emerging Artists.
As for the European tour, the NSO will work with acclaimed pianist Khatia Buniatishvili and the Tai
Additionally, composer Li Yuan-chen's (李元貞) "Tao of Meinong" brings the unique musical heritage of Taiwan's Hakka people to the forefront. Li weaves Hakka songs and lullabies into a beautiful and evocative symphony.
Markl views the tour as a strategic opportunity to strengthen Taiwan's image, impress European audiences, and develop international connections. He said Europe is an important musical market, given its diverse countries, languages, and cultures.
"It is quite an interesting place for Taiwan. The democratic support for Taiwan is very big in Europe," he said.
The tour will kick off on April 3 at the Tonhalle Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland. This venue holds historical significance, as Johannes Brahms inaugurated it in 1895.
The tour continues with a stop at Geneva's Victoria Hall on April 4, marking the NSO's return after 11 years.
On April 7, the NSO takes the stage at the historic Staatstheater Braunschweig, where Goethe's renowned play "Faust" premiered centuries ago. The German leg concludes on April 11 with a concert at the prestigious Kuppelsaal in Hannover's Congress Centre.
The tour culminates on April 13 at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris.
Due to popular demand, an additional concert has been added on April 6 in Switzerland featuring 18-year-old Russian pianist Vsevolod Zavidov, a rising star who entered the Moscow Conservatory at age 4.
