TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Following its previously announced March concerts, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO) returns this May with a new program.

Conducted by Jaap van Zweden, the ESO’s artist-in-residence, the orchestra will perform with South Korean pianist Jaehong Park, winner of the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy. Performing in Kaohsiung and Taichung, the collaboration will feature Russian and French masterpieces, inviting audiences to experience the emotions of composers shaped by war and inner conflict.

The concert opens with Ravel’s “La Valse.” The music begins with the elegance of a grand ballroom before gradually revealing a world falling apart and the composer’s response to war. This is followed by Rachmaninov’s “Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor,” widely regarded as one of the most demanding works in the repertoire. Park will join the orchestra for the concerto.

Another highlight is Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5 in E minor.” Under van Zweden’s leadership, the ESO will bring out the work’s shifting moods, from lyrical themes to the power of its brass passages.

The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra will perform with Jaap van Zweden and Jaehong Park on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Concert Hall), and on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at the National Taichung Theater (Grand Theatre). For ticket information, please contact the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra or visit the OPENTIX platform.