TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan's NHK Symphony Orchestra will commence its Taiwan tour on Friday (Aug. 23), marking the orchestra's return to Taiwan after a seven-year absence and the first overseas performance for chief conductor Fabio Luisi and the ensemble.
The three-concert tour runs from Friday through Sunday (Aug. 25). It will feature performances at the National Taichung Theater, the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), and Taipei's National Concert Hall.
Luisi has been the orchestra's chief conductor since September 2022. He has carefully selected the repertoire for the Taiwanese audience.
The concerts will open with German composer Carl Maria von Weber's "Der Freischütz" overture. The piece is considered a pioneering work of German Romantic opera and Weber's greatest achievement.
Max Bruch's "Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor" will be featured next. The piece breaks away from the traditional concerto structure, emphasizing the first movement, which enhances the second.
The performance will be followed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64" in the second half. Tchaikovsky's passion for symphonies stemmed from his belief that this musical form was “the most lyrical” of genres.
His primary goal in composing symphonies was to express emotion. The beloved "Tchaikovsky 5,” renowned for its grandeur, melodic beauty, and invigorating rhythms, serves as a testament to Tchaikovsky's determination to overcome his personal challenges and express himself authentically.
The tour is supported by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture and aims to strengthen ties between Taiwan and Japan. It follows the successful Japan tour of Taiwan's National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) last year.
Joining the orchestra on stage will be Taiwanese-American violinist Paul Huang (黃俊文), a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists winner. Huang recently signed with a French music label and released his first global album.
The NHK Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1926, has been presenting regular concerts since 1927. The orchestra performs about 120 concerts annually in Japan, including 54 regular concerts that are broadcast nationwide on NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) television and radio.
