National Symphony Orchestra to showcase Taiwan on European tour

Taipei, March 13 (CNA) The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is set to hold seven concerts in three countries next month as part of its European tour in a bid to showcase Taiwan’s culture through music.

According to the NSO, the setlist will include three pieces, namely Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky; Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 by Czech composer Antonín Dvorák; and Tao of Meinong (美濃之道) by Taiwanese composer Li Yuan-chen (李元貞).

Hakka Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chou Chiang-chieh (周江杰) said at a press event announcing the tour on Wednesday that Tao of Meinong conveyed the struggles of the Hakka, an ethnic minority in Taiwan, and the challenges its people have faced throughout history and in gaining recognition as a crucial element of Taiwanese culture.

The council is privileged to be able to showcase part of Taiwanese culture to international audiences through NSO performances, Chou said.

The tour, named “From Taiwan,” is about more than Hakka culture and also intends to show off the outstanding musical ability of Taiwan’s premier symphony orchestra, according to NSO Music Director Jun Märkl.

“We want to show that Taiwan produces high-quality music and that we also have talented composers,” Märkl said, referencing Li and violinist Paul Huang (黃俊文), who will be the featured soloist at the Staatstheater Braunschweig show in Germany on April 7.

Other soloists to be featured on the tour include pianist Vsevolod Zavidov, who will be tickling the ivories on April 6 at the Stadtcasino Basel in Switzerland.

The five other shows will feature pianist Khatia Buniatishvili and will take place at the Tonhalle Zürich on April 3, the Victoria Hall in Switzerland on April 4, the Elbphilharmonie in Germany on April 9, the Kuppelsaal Standthalle Hannover in Germany on April 11, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on April 13.

Culture Minister Shih Che (史哲) said along with private sponsors, his ministry will also help fund the tour through its “T-content” subsidy program.

Through the program, the Cabinet has earmarked NT$10 billion (US$317.4 million) in funding to subsidize locally produced art, publications, films, TV series, music, and the development of technology until 2027 to help disseminate Taiwanese cultural content.

Taiwan may be known all over the world for its high-technology sector, but culture is the soul of a country, Shih said.

He hopes that the NSO will promote Taiwan’s unique culture through the “universal language” that is music, the minister said.