Wedding of the Century You Can't Ask About—Lohengrin Lecture Concert
►[House Program]Wedding of the Century You Can't Ask About—Lohengrin Lecture Concert
This may not be one of WAGNER's best-known operas, but you've definitely heard one of its components, "Bridal Chorus" ("dah dah da-dah…"), a musical symbol of happiness that actually comes from a major tragedy: Lohengrin.
As a warmup for Taiwan's first full-length performance of the Romantic German opera Lohengrin, presented exclusively at Weiwuying in September this year, this lecture concert will bring you on a deep-reaching exploration. Based on the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk (incorporating numerous art forms into one piece), WAGNER converged music, literature, drama, and stage design to make this opera an all-encompassing artistic feast for the senses. This concert will begin with the familiar "Bridal Chorus," and via a live performance and accompanying explanations, the audience will learn how WAGNER musically shaped his characters and advanced the plot.
The concert boasts quite a lineup: The speakers will be General and Artistic Director of Weiwuying CHIEN Wen-pin and YouTube channel Musician Seacow creator HSU Wei, WANG Pei-yao will be on the piano, and the vocals for iconic excerpts from the opera will be handled by some of Taiwan’s best: soprano Grace LIN, mezzo-soprano WENG Jo-pei, and tenor LIN Yi-wei. It is to be a perfect taste of the powerful allure of WAGNER's opera.
Artistic and Production Team
Speakers｜CHIEN Wen-pin, HSU Wei
Soprano｜Grace LIN
Mezzo-soprano｜WENG Jo-pei
Tenor｜ LIN Yi-wei
Piano｜WANG Pei-yao
Surtitle Operator｜Gérôme WANG
Ticketing Information
Redeem Free Ticket Online: Starting from 12:00pm Tuesday 15 April 2025.
About the Speakers
General and Artistic Director of Weiwuying｜CHIEN Wen-pin
General and Artistic Director of the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), was born in 1967, graduated from the National Taiwan Academy of Arts and awarded with Master degree at the National University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna. CHIEN joined the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Dusseldorf/Duisburg, Germany) in 1996 and served as "Kapellmeister" for 22 years. 1998-2004 he was Resident Conductor of the Pacific Music Festival (Sapporo, Japan), 2001-2007 he was Music Director of National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan Philharmonic), 2014-2016 CHIEN was Artistic Advisor of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. In September 2018 he became the first General and Artistic Director of the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying). 2014 CHIEN was winner of the National Award for Arts.
YouTube Channel Musician Seacow creator｜HSU Wei
HSU Wei, renowned Taiwanese pianist, music promoter, and content creator of the music education YouTube Channel, Musician Seacow, with over 550,000 subscribers. He is famous not only for his outstanding piano performance, but also for his extensive knowledge and humorous style of music presentation.
He has curated and performed in several critically acclaimed productions such as The Mourning of Primroses: A Journey Into the Music of Four Female Composers (2024), Home Unreturned: Chopin's Polonaise & Fantaisie (2023), Copying the Master: Mendelssohn and Beethoven (2022), in which he combined classical music performance with elements of theatrical elements, such as acting, lighting, and stage design, and has made a strong influence on the community in Taiwan.
While pursuing his master's degree in London, he was awarded the "Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music" (highest prize awarded for graduates), and the Harold Samuel Bach Prize. Before taking music as his profession, he studied medical science and electrical engineering in National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. He has been taught by world-renowned pianists, including Meiting Sun, Dina Yoffe, Patsy Toh, Christopher Elton, Rustem Hayroudinoff, Pascal Devoyon, Boris Berman, Michel Béroff.
Wei frequently collaborates with orchestras, theaters, institutions throughout Taiwan, as well as invited to curate and host other programs, including the TV program by Mirror News, Don't Listen to Classical Music , which is nominated for the Golden Bell's Program Innovation Award in 2023.
About the Artist
Soprano｜Grace LIN
Grace LIN graduated from the Music Department at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, and earned the Bachelor of Music degree and diploma of Distinction in Vocal Performance from the Royal Academy of Music.
After returning from studies abroad, LIN has been active in the fields of opera, oratorio, and art songs both domestically and internationally. Recent performances include Falstaff by VERDI at the National Taichung Theater, BACH's Mass in b minor, HANDEL's Messiah, the Soprano Grace Lin 2023 Recital, the opera Portent at Weiwuying and Taipei Performing Arts Center, Tannhäuser at the National Taichung Theater, MAHLER's Symphony No. 4 and Symphony No. 2, and Die lustige Witwe with National Symphony Orchestra.
In 2016, she was awarded as Distinguished Alumna of the National Taiwan University of Arts, while in 2022, she was elected as Associate of Royal Academy of Music. Together with writer CHIAO Yuan-pu and other musicians, she co-produced the CD and book Pushkin in Music and toured with themed concerts.
Mezzo-soprano｜WENG Jo-pei
WENG Jo-pei graduated from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. She has won the vocal first prize at the Bank SinoPac Young Artists Showcase and the New Voice Competition in Yokosuka, Japan. In 2009, she was invited to perform at The World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Opening Ceremony. In 2010, WENG released her sacred music album Encountering You. She received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the National Taipei University of the Arts in 2012. In 2014, she performed Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and the Mariinsky Theatre. In 2016, she was featured in OPERA NOW magazine. In the summer of 2024, WENG toured Europe with the Bundesjugendorchester (Federal Youth Orchestra of Germany). She currently teaches at the National Taipei University of the Arts and the National Taipei University of Education.
Tenor｜ LIN Yi-wei
Adjunct Assistant Professor at Tunghai University, Fu Jen Catholic University, and National Taichung University of Education, Department of Music. He holds the highest vocal performance diploma from the Mozarteum University Salzburg in Austria. His performance experience includes roles such as Caruso and Deadly Nelson in Too Many Sopranos, Camille in Die lustige Witwe, Tannhäuser in Tannhäuser, Huang Sang in Portent, Jaquino in Fidelio, and Fenton in Falstaff.
Piano｜WANG Pei-yao
Hailed for her poetic lyricism and insight, WANG Pei-yao is widely in demand as a soloist and chamber musician. She is a staple on the international summer festival circuit and has performed at chamber music festivals such as the Marlboro Music Festival, Bard Music Festival, Santa Fe Music Festival, Hong Kong Premier Performance, and Chamber Music Northwest. Ms. WANG has given concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, including venues such as the Salle des Variétés in Monte Carlo, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, Beijing Concert Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Carnegie Hall’s Stern, Weill, and Zankel Halls. As a former member of the renowned Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, she has made frequent appearances in New York as well as on the CMS tour.
Ms. Wang has premiered over 20 solo and chamber works in the past. She has produced several notable cross-disciplinary performances since 2020. The most recent work, "Clara Schumann geb. Wieck," has been nominated for the prestigious 23rd Taish in Art Award in Taiwan.
This project is co-presented by National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and National Cultural and Nightingale Foundation.
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Wedding of the Century You Can't Ask About—Lohengrin Lecture Concert
►[House Program]Wedding of the Century You Can't Ask About—Lohengrin Lecture Concert
This may not be one of WAGNER's best-known operas, but you've definitely heard one of its components, "Bridal Chorus" ("dah dah da-dah…"), a musical symbol of happiness that actually comes from a major tragedy: Lohengrin.
As a warmup for Taiwan's first full-length performance of the Romantic German opera Lohengrin, presented exclusively at Weiwuying in September this year, this lecture concert will bring you on a deep-reaching exploration. Based on the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk (incorporating numerous art forms into one piece), WAGNER converged music, literature, drama, and stage design to make this opera an all-encompassing artistic feast for the senses. This concert will begin with the familiar "Bridal Chorus," and via a live performance and accompanying explanations, the audience will learn how WAGNER musically shaped his characters and advanced the plot.
The concert boasts quite a lineup: The speakers will be General and Artistic Director of Weiwuying CHIEN Wen-pin and YouTube channel Musician Seacow creator HSU Wei, WANG Pei-yao will be on the piano, and the vocals for iconic excerpts from the opera will be handled by some of Taiwan’s best: soprano Grace LIN, mezzo-soprano WENG Jo-pei, and tenor LIN Yi-wei. It is to be a perfect taste of the powerful allure of WAGNER's opera.
Artistic and Production Team
Speakers｜CHIEN Wen-pin, HSU Wei
Soprano｜Grace LIN
Mezzo-soprano｜WENG Jo-pei
Tenor｜ LIN Yi-wei
Piano｜WANG Pei-yao
Surtitle Operator｜Gérôme WANG
Ticketing Information
Redeem Free Ticket Online: Starting from 12:00pm Tuesday 15 April 2025.
About the Speakers
General and Artistic Director of Weiwuying｜CHIEN Wen-pin
General and Artistic Director of the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), was born in 1967, graduated from the National Taiwan Academy of Arts and awarded with Master degree at the National University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna. CHIEN joined the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Dusseldorf/Duisburg, Germany) in 1996 and served as "Kapellmeister" for 22 years. 1998-2004 he was Resident Conductor of the Pacific Music Festival (Sapporo, Japan), 2001-2007 he was Music Director of National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan Philharmonic), 2014-2016 CHIEN was Artistic Advisor of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. In September 2018 he became the first General and Artistic Director of the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying). 2014 CHIEN was winner of the National Award for Arts.
YouTube Channel Musician Seacow creator｜HSU Wei
HSU Wei, renowned Taiwanese pianist, music promoter, and content creator of the music education YouTube Channel, Musician Seacow, with over 550,000 subscribers. He is famous not only for his outstanding piano performance, but also for his extensive knowledge and humorous style of music presentation.
He has curated and performed in several critically acclaimed productions such as The Mourning of Primroses: A Journey Into the Music of Four Female Composers (2024), Home Unreturned: Chopin's Polonaise & Fantaisie (2023), Copying the Master: Mendelssohn and Beethoven (2022), in which he combined classical music performance with elements of theatrical elements, such as acting, lighting, and stage design, and has made a strong influence on the community in Taiwan.
While pursuing his master's degree in London, he was awarded the "Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music" (highest prize awarded for graduates), and the Harold Samuel Bach Prize. Before taking music as his profession, he studied medical science and electrical engineering in National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. He has been taught by world-renowned pianists, including Meiting Sun, Dina Yoffe, Patsy Toh, Christopher Elton, Rustem Hayroudinoff, Pascal Devoyon, Boris Berman, Michel Béroff.
Wei frequently collaborates with orchestras, theaters, institutions throughout Taiwan, as well as invited to curate and host other programs, including the TV program by Mirror News, Don't Listen to Classical Music , which is nominated for the Golden Bell's Program Innovation Award in 2023.
About the Artist
Soprano｜Grace LIN
Grace LIN graduated from the Music Department at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, and earned the Bachelor of Music degree and diploma of Distinction in Vocal Performance from the Royal Academy of Music.
After returning from studies abroad, LIN has been active in the fields of opera, oratorio, and art songs both domestically and internationally. Recent performances include Falstaff by VERDI at the National Taichung Theater, BACH's Mass in b minor, HANDEL's Messiah, the Soprano Grace Lin 2023 Recital, the opera Portent at Weiwuying and Taipei Performing Arts Center, Tannhäuser at the National Taichung Theater, MAHLER's Symphony No. 4 and Symphony No. 2, and Die lustige Witwe with National Symphony Orchestra.
In 2016, she was awarded as Distinguished Alumna of the National Taiwan University of Arts, while in 2022, she was elected as Associate of Royal Academy of Music. Together with writer CHIAO Yuan-pu and other musicians, she co-produced the CD and book Pushkin in Music and toured with themed concerts.
Mezzo-soprano｜WENG Jo-pei
WENG Jo-pei graduated from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. She has won the vocal first prize at the Bank SinoPac Young Artists Showcase and the New Voice Competition in Yokosuka, Japan. In 2009, she was invited to perform at The World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Opening Ceremony. In 2010, WENG released her sacred music album Encountering You. She received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the National Taipei University of the Arts in 2012. In 2014, she performed Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and the Mariinsky Theatre. In 2016, she was featured in OPERA NOW magazine. In the summer of 2024, WENG toured Europe with the Bundesjugendorchester (Federal Youth Orchestra of Germany). She currently teaches at the National Taipei University of the Arts and the National Taipei University of Education.
Tenor｜ LIN Yi-wei
Adjunct Assistant Professor at Tunghai University, Fu Jen Catholic University, and National Taichung University of Education, Department of Music. He holds the highest vocal performance diploma from the Mozarteum University Salzburg in Austria. His performance experience includes roles such as Caruso and Deadly Nelson in Too Many Sopranos, Camille in Die lustige Witwe, Tannhäuser in Tannhäuser, Huang Sang in Portent, Jaquino in Fidelio, and Fenton in Falstaff.
Piano｜WANG Pei-yao
Hailed for her poetic lyricism and insight, WANG Pei-yao is widely in demand as a soloist and chamber musician. She is a staple on the international summer festival circuit and has performed at chamber music festivals such as the Marlboro Music Festival, Bard Music Festival, Santa Fe Music Festival, Hong Kong Premier Performance, and Chamber Music Northwest. Ms. WANG has given concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, including venues such as the Salle des Variétés in Monte Carlo, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, Beijing Concert Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Carnegie Hall’s Stern, Weill, and Zankel Halls. As a former member of the renowned Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, she has made frequent appearances in New York as well as on the CMS tour.
Ms. Wang has premiered over 20 solo and chamber works in the past. She has produced several notable cross-disciplinary performances since 2020. The most recent work, "Clara Schumann geb. Wieck," has been nominated for the prestigious 23rd Taish in Art Award in Taiwan.
This project is co-presented by National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and National Cultural and Nightingale Foundation.
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