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

Internationally renowned cellist Wen-sinn YANG has won the top prize at the Geneva International Music Competition, was named Principal Cellist of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at the age of just 24, has recorded BACH's Six Cello Suites twice, and earned from The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music a rating of three stars plus a rosette (the highest honor given by the guide). German organist Christian SCHMITT first came to Taiwan in 2015 to collaborate with the National Symphony Orchestra for their season opener. His amazing skill and unparalleled charm have made him quite popular and put him in great demand for collaboration by the world's major orchestras. At the concert, besides LISZT's Variations on a Basso Continuo from the Cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, there will be a series of German pieces: BACH's Sonata in D Major for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord, BWV 1028, and Passacaglia and Fugue in c minor, BWV 582; HINDEMITH's Funeral Music for Cello and Organ; and HÖLLER's Improvisations on the Spiritual Folk Song Most Beautiful Lord Jesus for Cello and Organ, Op. 55. Moreover, Taiwanese music lovers will be given the pleasant surprise of a rearrangement by YANG and SCHMITT of a local piece! With music ranging from the Baroque to the contemporary by German, Hungarian, and Taiwanese composers, the concert is to be a perfect showcase of the many and brilliant faces of the organ.

  Pre-talk  

2023/10/8(Sun)14:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

  Program  

J. S. BACH: Sonata in D Major for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord, BWV 1028

J. S. BACH: Passacaglia and Fugue in c minor, BWV 582

K. HÖLLER: Improvisations on the Spiritual Folk Song Most Beautiful Lord Jesus for Cello and Organ, Op. 55

P. HINDEMITH: Funeral Music for Cello and Organ (Arranged by Wen-sinn YANG & Christian SCHMITT)

F. LISZT: Variations on a Basso Continuo from the Cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen

A. PIATTI: Capriccio sopra un tema della Niobe di Pacini, Op. 21

DENG Yu-hsien: Bang Chhun Hong (Longing for the Spring Breeze) for Cello and Organ (Arranged by LIU Shen-hsien)

Encore Pieces:

Enjott SCHNEIDER: Romance on a Taiwanese Folksong for Violoncello and Organ

Edward ELGAR: Salut d'Amour

  Creative and Production Team  

Organ｜Christian SCHMITT

Cello｜Wen-sinn YANG

  Artists Introduction  

Organ｜Christian SCHMITT

Since his debuts with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon RATTLE and the Salzburg Festival with Magdalena KOŽENÁ, Christian SCHMITT has become one of the world's most sought-after organists. In the 2021/22 season, he was "Artist in Focus" of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich where he inaugurated the new organ at the Tonhalle with conductor Paavo JÄRVI. 

SCHMITT recently debuted at Walt Disney Concert Hall presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, performed with the Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by Daniel BARENBOIM, and recorded HINDEMITH's Chamber Music No. 7 with conductor Christoph ESCHENBACH. In the 2022/23 season he debuted at Carnegie Hall with the Philharmonie Brno and at Meyerson Symphony Center presented by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. 

SCHMITT has performed as a recitalist at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Wiener Musikverein, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and Maison Symphonique Montréal. He has performed under conductors including Philippe HERREWEGHE, Jakub HRŮŠA, Marek JANOWSKI, Daniel BARENBOIM, Paavo JÄRVI, and Manfred HONECK. A frequent recital collaborator, SCHMITT has additionally performed with Magdalena KOŽENÁ, Matthias HÖFS, Thomas HAMPSON, and Matthias GOERNE.

For Deutsche Grammophon, SCHMITT recorded two CDs for the project "Bach 333 - Die neue Gesamtausgabe" and an album of works for voice and organ with soprano Magdalena KOŽENÁ. In 2013, he was awarded an ECHO Klassik for his recording of WIDOR's organ symphonies, Opp. 42, 3 and 69.

SCHMITT is on the faculty at Codarts University Rotterdam. SCHMITT studied organ in Paris, in Boston, and in Saarbrücken and has been a member of the jury for numerous competitions. SCHMITT is the Principal Organist of the Bamberger Symphoniker.

Cello｜Wen-sinn YANG

Enthusiasm for the unknown and constant research distinguishes Wen-sinn YANG as one of the most versatile cellists of the present day. His performances not only revive the music of nineteenth-century cello virtuosos such as Adrien François SERVAIS and Karl Yulievich DAVYDOV, but also introduce his audiences to such modern composers as Aribert REIMANN and Isang YUN.

Alongside his activities as an internationally renowned soloist under conductors including Sir Colin DAVIS, Lorin MAAZEL, Mariss JANSONS, Shiao-Chia LÜ, Grzegorz NOWAK, Daniel KLAJNER, Yukata SADO and Michael HOFSTETTER and with such orchestras as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra the Shanghai Symphony, the NHK Tokyo, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Russian State Orchestra of Moscow, Wen-sinn YANG is also a highly sought-after chamber music partner. His mastery and technical skill is not only strongly expressive but also particularly sensitive, which continues to open up ever-new listening perspectives.

Wen-sinn YANG’s wide-ranging repertoire is documented on more than 30 CDs. These include not only the principal works for violoncello by BOCCHERINI, HAYDN, BEETHOVEN, SCHUBERT, SAINT-SAENS, LALO, TCHAIKOVSKY and DVOŘÁK, but also compositions by Henri VIEUXTEMPS, Frank MARTIN, Leonid SABANEEV and Sofia GUBAIDULINA. Many of these are distinguished as premiere recordings.

YANG, in cooperation with Bavarian Television, recorded the six solo suites of J. S. BACH in 2005. This DVD, released by Arthaus, was praised by critics for its profound awareness of historically informed interpretation performed on modern instruments.

YANG has been Professor of Violoncello at the Academy of Music and Theater in Munich since 2004 and also regularly conducts international master courses.

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