Blog
Tips from an Expert for 24 Hours TCHAIKOVSKY
Weiwuying's annual music marathon is just around the corner. This highly creative event for classical music lovers will be entering its fourth year in 2025, leaving the Austro-German tradition of the previous three editions (SCHUBERT, MOZART, and BEETHOVEN) for Russian composer TCHAIKOVSKY.
Different Simon RATTLE, Different BRSO
In the 2023/24 season, Sir Simon RATTLE became the chief conductor for the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO), the position having long been vacant since the passing of Mariss JANSONS in 2019. In an interview with the Gasteig, RATTLE described his relationship with the BRSO: "On the one hand, I still sense the spirit of Rafael KUBELÍK in this orchestra… On the other hand, I feel such a warm connection with the orchestra's members."
The Organ Can Improv Too! -Thierry ESCAICH
Many people think improvisation is only for jazz, but in fact, several hundred years ago, organists were the best at it. Thierry ESCAICH, a French organist who will perform at Weiwuying in October, is one of today's few amazing improv organists.
Deluge of Boundless Novelty – 2024 Weiwuying International Music Festival
The Weiwuying International Music Festival, a major annual contemporary music event, is slated for its third edition, treating Taiwan's music lovers to local and overseas world-class performers from all over the globe through the formats of concerts, forums, and videos. This year, several works by 80-year-old Hungarian composer Péter EÖTVÖS will be a focal point.
Weiwuying Showtime Series: Improv with Manzai Bonbon
Manzai is a form of comedy from Japan. Manzai Bonbon (part of the Japanese entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo), is a duo of MIKI and OOTA that has been in Taiwan for ten years. They write side-splitting jokes based on the differences in language and culture they come across in everyday life. For their tenth anniversary in Taiwan, they are set to present an all-new show at the Weiwuying Showtime series that is sure to make you laugh your manzai off!
Extraordinary Magnetism of a Star Vocalist: Joyce DIDONATO and Her - Eden
In late 2009, a number of British and American classical music magazines and critics chose mezzo-soprano Joyce DIDONATO as their person of the year. As a result, many Taiwanese music lovers wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I, however, was not surprised at all, because I had been lucky enough to witness the reason that July, when she played the female lead in the London Royal Opera House's production of ROSSINI's The Barber of Seville. After singing the famous aria “Una voce poco fa” on the night of the premiere, she slipped and fractured her ankle. Who would have thought she would actually "break a leg" during the show!
Classical Music Superstar: A Look at BEETHOVEN, Illustrious Guest of the 24 Hours Series
BEETHOVEN was born on December 17, 1770, in Bonn, an old town on the banks of the Rhine near Cologne in western Germany. He was named Ludwig, after his grandfather, who was a bass and the music director of a church. The younger BEETHOVEN having inherited his grandfather's musical genes became apparent when he was just five, but his childhood was an unhappy one full of physical and verbal abuse from his strict father – such treatment is believed to have led to his later deafness. At 13, he was named assistant to Bonn's most reputed composer, at which time he had his first piece of music performed publicly and won the attention of the aristocracy and local music circle. At 17, he received sponsorship from the local court to go to Vienna and become a pupil of MOZART, but he soon returned home as his mother fell severely ill.
The Many Faces of the Organ – Improv, Solos, Ensembles, and Concertos at 2024 Weiwuying Organ Festival
Organ lovers, get ready for a treat! The annual Weiwuying Organ Festival is set to take place from March 15 to 17, 2024. Once again, we will be teaming up with the Cultural Affairs Department of Pingtung County Government, and we have invited German organist Christian SCHMITT, a global name in today's music realm, to serve as the artistic director. At these two venues, a total of three concerts with differing features will be put on: SCHMITT and His Friends- One Night in Baroque Classics, A Fantasy of Dance, and A Matinee with Masters- Concerto Classics.
