For the first time in Taiwan's musical history, eight orchestral troupes from both the public and private sectors will be performing in central Taiwan for five consecutive weekends as part of the opening of the 2005 Symphony Festival.
Starting from Nov. 19, the event will take place in Wufeng (霧峰), Taichung County. In the meantime, each participating troupe will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO國立台灣交響樂團), which is the most senior troupe in Taiwan.
Ko Chi-liang (柯基良), general director of the NTSO, speaking at a press conference said, "This is the first time that such a large-scale orchestra performance has ever been held in Taiwan. The public is being offered a very rare opportunity to appreciate music by the eight most prominent symphony troupes in Taiwan, within a period of slightly over one month."
Ten performances are scheduled for this orchestral music extravaganza.
On Dec. 10, a special evening presentation of popular local folk-song suites and other classical music will be presented when 200 musicians selected from each orchestral group will conduct an outdoor performance.
The NTSO is proud of its new concert hall in Wufeng, which was completed in 2002. The hall has a total of 600 seats, on two floors, and has world-class acoustics and state-of-the-art audio, recording and lighting equipment.
"The multifunctional stage and adjustable soundproofing make it possible for the hall to host not only concerts, but plays, dances and other types of performances," said Liu Suan-yung (
The NTSO came into existence in 1945 and has played a leading role in Taiwanese musical life ever since. The group puts on seasonal concerts and goes on island-wide tours, averaging more than 60 performances per year.
It also promotes musical education in schools and universities in Taiwan. For this reason, the troupe possesses Taiwan's only mobile stage and climate-controlled truck specially designed for transporting musical instruments. The facilities enable it to perform at open-air venues in even the remotest of locations in Taiwan.
The troupe was relocated from Taipei to Wufeng, a small town of 50,000 that is renowned for its highland Oolong tea, when the Taiwan Provincial Government was set up in Taichung in 1956.
NTSO has 70 top-notch musicians and was placed under the supervision of the Council of Cultural Affairs when the provincial government was downsized in July 1999. The troupe currently operates on a government-funded annual budget of NT$150 million. Liu said that the festival will become a permanent feature in Taiwan and would be expanded to incorporate international orchestra troupes from next year on.
Performance dates:
11/19 National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra
11/25 Taipei Sinfonietta and Philharmonic Orchestra
11/26 Taipei Symphony Orchestra
12/01 National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra
12/02 Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra
12/10 Special Evening Presentation With 200 Musicians
12/11 Taipei Century Symphony Orchestra
12/16 Evergreen Symphony Orchestra
12/17 Phiharmonia Moments Musicaux
12/18 National Symphony Orchestra
Performance notes:
What: 2005 Symphony Festival
When: Nov. 19 to Dec. 18.
All performances start at 7:30pm except Dec. 10 at 5:30pm.
Where: 738-2, Chungcheng Rd., Wufeng, Taichung County (台中縣霧峰鄉中正路738-2號)
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