衛武營國家藝術文化中心 National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

At the age of twenty-four, Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, encouraged by his peers, wrote Symphony No. 2 Antar (later changed to a symphonic suite), based on the fantasy stories of Russian writer Osip SENKOVSKY. Differing from the traditional German and Austrian music, this music incorporates the style and the stories of Arabia. Years later, RIMSKY-KORSAKOV was intrigued by the Arabian folk literature Arabian Nights and wrote a four-movement symphonic suite Scheherazade. The music continues the same exotic mode of the previous, with more sophisticated and unconstrained orchestration techniques. Whether it is the brass ensemble representing the sultan, the violin solo representing the heroine Scheherazade, or the staccato woodwinds depicting the innocent princess and prince, all bring out vivid and dramatic scenes.

Two other contemporary works will be presented: Subito con Forza is the new work composed in 2020 by the Festival Artistic Director Unsuk CHIN to celebrate the anniversary of BEETHOVEN. She extracted many of BEETHOVEN's classic pieces, such as fragments from the Coriolan Overture and the Emperor piano concerto, reorganized and developed them into a mosaic-like tone painting. The Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra by the young Austrian composer Bernd Richard DEUTSCH, which is co-commissioned by National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and the Gewandhaus Orchestra from Leipzig, will also be presented. It had its world premiere in Leipzig at the end of 2021.

  Pre-talk  

2022/4/17(Sun)13:50-14:10 Concert Hall 3rd Floor

  Program  

Unsuk CHIN: Subito con Forza (Taiwan Premiere)

Bernd Richard DEUTSCH: Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra (Asian Premiere,  joint commission with Gewandhaus Orchestra)

N. A. Rimsky-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade, Op.35

  Creative and Production Team  

Conductor｜LIO Kuokman

Quartet｜MIT Saxophone Ensemble

Guest Concertmaster (Scheherazade)｜William WEI

Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra

  Artists Introduction  

Conductor | Lio Kuokman

"...a startling conducting talent." -Philadelphia Inquirer 

"...opening the concert evening and leading the orchestra with grace and assurance." -The Chautauquan Daily 

"...beautiful sense of control."- Star Telegram

Currently serving as Programme Director of the Macao International Music Festival and Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, LIO is praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "a startling conducting talent." He was the second prize winner of the third Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Paris with audience prize and orchestra prize and has served as the first Chinese Assistant Conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra. LIO has successfully collaborated with many leading orchestras across the globe. This season he was invited as the first Chinese conductor to conduct subscription concert with the Vienna Symphony; Invited by the French government to lead the first Saudi Arabia performance tour with Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse; Completed 10 performances in Taiwan with NTSO; Appearance at Music in PyeongChang Festival and conducted the season closing concert with Hong Kong Philharmonic. Other collaborated orchestras including Detroit Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille, Seoul Philharmonic, NHK, Hiroshima, Tokyo Metropolitan, Kyoto Symphony, Russian National Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Latvian National Symphony, etc. LIO recently collaborated with National Taichung Theater on a production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Other opera performances including La bohème, L'elisir d'amore, Pagliacci, Turandot, Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, Carmen; And was invited by Valery GERGIEV as guest conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre. As a concert pianist LIO has collaborated with Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and Fort Worth Symphony. Educated at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music and the New England Conservatory, LIO is a founding member and President of the Macao Chamber Music Association. For his contributions to the development of arts and culture, LIO has received a Certificate of Commendation and Medal of Cultural Merit from both governments of Hong Kong and Macao. In 2021 LIO is the recipient of the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons award.

Guest Concertmaster (Scheherazade) | William WEI

Laureate of the prestigious 2015 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition, rising Taiwanese violinist William Wei is quickly building an international career as a soloist. Of his performance of the Shostakovich Violin Concerto with conductor Marin Alsop and the National Orchestra of Belgium, Le Soir wrote that William "gets everyone's attention in the first movement; he expresses all the possibilities in the second movement; [and he] burns all his passion and freedom in the music till the end." Radio Télévision Belge Francophone simply called his playing "superb".

William's recent highlights have included concert series stepping in for violinist Shlomo MINTZ in Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major with Eliahu INBAL. National Symohony Orchestra with HU Nai-yuan and CHEN Ray, and Baden-Baden Philharmonic with Pavel BALEFF. 

A winner of the Salon de Virtuosi's 2018 Career Grant, William has been invited twice by renowned New York Times music critic Robert SHERMAN to perform on WQXR's Young Artists Showcase. He performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with conductor, Jahja LING and the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall as a winner of the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition in 2013.

Following his recital debut in Taiwan, William has appeared as soloist on multiple occasions, performing with such orchestras as the Belgium National Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Sejong Soloists, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan Philharmonic, Boston Longwood Symphony, and Mainzer Virtuosi. He has appeared as soloist at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kaufman Music Center, Merkin Concert Hall, Jordan Hall, the Henry le Boeuf Hall in Belgium, Gasteig Concert Hall in Munich, Seoul Arts Center, Cremona Stradivari Museum (Museo del Violino), and Taiwan National Concert Hall, and has been invited to perform at several festivals, including the 4string festival in New Jersey, Incheon Music Festival in Korea, Green Mountain Music Festival in Vermont, and the Casalmaggiore Music Festival in Italy. William has performed with such renowned musicians as Eliahu INBAL, Gil SHAHAM, CHEN Ray, Marin ALSOP, Hu Nai-yuan, LIN Cho-liang, WANG Peiyao, Orion WEISS, Marc DANEL, Yang Sung-won, Brian SUITS, and Ronald FELDMAN.

Born in Taiwan, William began his violin studies at the age of five. He is a proud recipient of the Jerome L. Greene Foundation Scholarship at the Juilliard School, where he earned his Bachelor's degree under KANG Hyo. He is currently pursuing his Master's degree at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin under Kolja BLACHER, former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic. William plays on a 1761 Tomasso Balestrieri loaned from the Chimei Foundation in Taiwan.

MIT Saxophone Ensemble

MIT (Made in Taiwan) Saxophone Ensemble was formed in 2013 by talented Taiwanese saxophonists who have studied in the United States, France, Japan, Thailand, and the Netherlands. As an emerging chamber group, the MIT has held over 50 concerts and events since forming in 2013.

As a pioneer saxophone ensemble in Taiwan, the MIT Saxophone Ensemble takes a duty of expending the saxophone ensemble repertoire. In addition to arranging works for the ensemble, they continuously commission new works by active composers, including Philippe GEISS, CHIU Hao-yuan, and LEE Che-yi. The MIT also devotes to promoting the saxophone in Taiwan and bringing it into the mainstream, by holding masterclasses, lectures, recitals, and out-reaching concerts. The most successful among all is currently there are more than 25 ensembles, over 250 players, coached by the MIT. Member of these ensembles varies from youth to adult, and beginners to music-major students.

Defined themselves a versatile chamber group, the MIT Saxophone Ensemble always enjoy to innovate their performance, teaching, and all other aspects. The broad interests of members contribute to this characteristic, and lead the group to have wider and deeper influences that are essential to improve the local saxophone society toward its audient.

  Performers  

Soprano Saxophone｜CHEN Li-fong

Alto Saxophone｜CHEN Pin-hua

Tenor Saxophone｜HUANG Pai-haw

Baritone Saxophone｜CHANG Po-fang

Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra

Wherever there is music, there is you.

－A young orchestra moving forward with determination.

A city's orchestra is a rare and precious attribute for any place to have. The Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra is a young, talented, and energetic orchestra that cooperates with internationally renowned conductors. The KSO strives to incorporate classical and cross-border performances into their repertoire, permeated with their unique passion. 

The KSO was founded in 1981 and since 2009, the orchestra has played a pivotal role in the Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival and successfully established the reputation of the "Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival Grassland Concert." Over the past decade, the KSO has continued to absorb the encouragement and tempering of various international personalities to create a series of concerts performed jointly by famous domestic and foreign artists. During the pandemic, there was a series of online concerts that connected music with fans to soothe their hearts with the energy of music.

On the international stage, the KSO continuously receives international invitations to perform in many cities, gradually reaching beyond the borders and proudly taking the name of an international-level orchestra. The KSO moves firmly onwards with talent and strength while striving for growth.

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