Starting March 1, the 2001 Taipei Traditional Arts Festival will get underway, bringing a wide range of folk music and dance to Taipei over a three-month period. Organized by the Taipei City Government and the Taipei Municipal Chinese Classical Orchestra (
At the pre-opening banquet yesterday, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-Jeou (
"Traditional arts and modern arts are complementary," he said, pointing out that many of Taiwan's best traditional performers are also conversant in Western musical instruments and theory.
PHOTO: HO, KUO-HUEI
The festival's 33 concerts will provide a degree of focus ideal for those seeking to develop a greater familiarity in various artistic traditions. Especially noteworthy in this regard is the series of eight concerts of nan-kuan (
Another important theme within the festival is religious music. Choirs from Fu Jen Catholic University and the Fo Guang Shan seminary (
In addition to the Longhu Mountain ensemble, a number of other outstanding folk music performers have been invited from China. Among them will be the Chinese Folk Song Chorus (
In addition to the festival's main program, Ma announced that a series of 12 free concerts will be played at community venues to accompany the festival. These mainly outdoor concerts are an effort to bring traditional arts into communities and expand the art forms' audience. Full program information is available at http://www.tco.gov.tw/default.html
Program Notes
When: March 1 and March 2, 7:30pm
Where: National Concert Hall
What: "Guests from Afar Singing the Homeland," featuring the Chinese Folk Song Chorus, the Taipei Municipal Citizens Chorus and the Taipei Municipal Chinese Classical Orchestra performing traditional Chinese folk songs
Tickets: NT$150 - NT$800
See Friday's Around Town for programs in the coming week. Full program information is available at http://www.tco.gov.tw/default.html
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