“The Taiwan Philharmonic, which is known at home as the National Symphony Orchestra, or NSO, is a first-rate ensemble, one of Asia’s best,” writes Mark Swed in Tuesday’s (12/13) Los Angeles Times. The orchestra made its U.S. debut Monday night at Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County, CA. “This season the orchestra celebrates its 30th anniversary, yet it has little profile outside of Asia…. Led by the orchestra’s Taiwanese music director, Shao-Chia Lü … the concert began with a new work … by a young Taiwanese composer, Chun-Wei Lee, and a violin concerto by Tyzen Hsiao, called ‘Taiwan’s Rachmaninoff.’ Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony replaced Dvorák’s Ninth…. It was a big band on the Segerstrom stage, with the majority of its players young. The tone was dark and rich…. [In] Tchaikovsky’s Fifth … the symphony’s famous solos, especially those for clarinet, bassoon and horn, were exquisitely polished. The climaxes were spectacular…. Politics shouldn’t have anything to do with it, but the Taiwan Philharmonic is overdue for a major U.S. tour.”
Posted December 15, 2016
