It's not easy to put two classical music heavyweights on the same stage, particularly when both are dubbed "prince." But on this occasion, violinist Chia-hung Drapal Liao (
"It is always `ladies first' in Europe," said Liao, who has more commonly worked with a female accompanist. "With Eric, it's kind of funny. During our rehearsals, we both tried to be polite and let the other walk [on and off stage] first."
PHOTO: COURTESY OF EJ TALENT AGENCY
At rehearsals, Chen, the pianist, politely gives way to the Austrian-trained violinist, four years his senior, but Liao generously returned the favor by writing a solo into the end of the first half of the program for the "piano prince." Chen, who trained in the US and hails from Tainan, will be playing Liszt's virtuoso solo Mephisto Waltz No. 1.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF EJ TALENT AGENCY
The two musicians took drastically different paths in their training, but have come together for their first encounter on stage amid surprisingly little fanfare.
"Eric and I have different personalities and expectations, and that actually helps us avoid clashes," Liao said. Raised in a family of musicians, there were few hurdles to his musical education. He was sent to Vienna as a teenager, where he stayed for almost 20 years before returning to Taipei five years ago. He is currently an associate professor of music at Taiwan National Normal University, and holds regular concerts with performers from a variety of backgrounds.
Chen's family is also involved in music, owning a classical instrument business in Tainan. He has released 17 albums since his debut in 1987, most of which are instrumental cover versions of popular songs from Taiwan and abroad such as I Don't Want to Miss a Thing from the Armageddon original soundtrack on last year's Make Love Stay (
While the title of the show, "Chia-hung Drapal Liao vs Eric Chen," may sound competitive, even confrontational, their mutual respect is obvious. Chen shrugged off the idea that there was any jealousy or competitiveness between the two performers. "Not at all," he said. "It's been a pleasant experience to work with him." For one thing, Chen is used to working with different male violinists so it is not unusual for him to play accompaniment. He has known Liao's family since he was a college student and says he is happy to be formally introduced to him on stage. But most of all, he cares about bringing quality programs to music lovers.
"We are one entity, an inseparable package," Chen said. He respects Liao as someone who sticks to his own standard in everything. "He's a perfectionist," says Chen. "I appreciate that he manages to oversee everything including the program and the flyers. We are both trying to make this occasion the best it can be."
For the New Year concert, Liao is excited to play one of his favorite pieces: Chanson Polonaise, Mazurka in G-minor op. 12-2 from Polish composer Wieniawski. As for Chen, he has selected two Chopin pieces -- Etude in E-major, op. 10-3, and Eroica Polonaise, op. 53 -- both speedy and cheerful easy listening numbers. "It's kind of nostalgic, as they are pieces that I have cherished since college," said Chen, whose favorite composers include Chopin, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff.
Performance Notes:
What: Waltz of Love: Chia-hung Drapal Liao vs Eric Chen (愛的圓舞曲 : 廖嘉弘vs 陳冠宇)
When: Jan. 5, 7:45pm
Where: The Recital Hall of the National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳演奏廳), 21-1 Chungshan S. Rd., Taipei (台北市中山南路21-1號)
Tickets: NT$500 - NT$2,000; tel: 2781-0987; 2375-9488
China has begun recruiting for a planetary defense force after risk assessments determined that an asteroid could conceivably hit Earth in 2032. Job ads posted online by China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) this week, sought young loyal graduates focused on aerospace engineering, international cooperation and asteroid detection. The recruitment drive comes amid increasing focus on an asteroid with a low — but growing — likelihood of hitting earth in seven years. The 2024 YR4 asteroid is at the top of the European and US space agencies’ risk lists, and last week analysts increased their probability
On a misty evening in August 1990, two men hiking on the moors surrounding Calvine, a pretty hamlet in Perth and Kinross, claimed to have seen a giant diamond-shaped aircraft flying above them. It apparently had no clear means of propulsion and left no smoke plume; it was silent and static, as if frozen in time. Terrified, they hit the ground and scrambled for cover behind a tree. Then a Harrier fighter jet roared into view, circling the diamond as if sizing it up for a scuffle. One of the men snapped a series of photographs just before the bizarre
Power struggles are never pretty. Fortunately, Taiwan is a democracy so there is no blood in the streets, but there are volunteers collecting signatures to recall nearly half of the legislature. With the exceptions of the “September Strife” in 2013 and the Sunflower movement occupation of the Legislative Yuan and the aftermath in 2014, for 16 years the legislative and executive branches of government were relatively at peace because the ruling party also controlled the legislature. Now they are at war. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds the presidency and the Executive Yuan and the pan-blue coalition led by the
Feb. 17 to Feb. 23 “Japanese city is bombed,” screamed the banner in bold capital letters spanning the front page of the US daily New Castle News on Feb. 24, 1938. This was big news across the globe, as Japan had not been bombarded since Western forces attacked Shimonoseki in 1864. “Numerous Japanese citizens were killed and injured today when eight Chinese planes bombed Taihoku, capital of Formosa, and other nearby cities in the first Chinese air raid anywhere in the Japanese empire,” the subhead clarified. The target was the Matsuyama Airfield (today’s Songshan Airport in Taipei), which