A symphony commissioned in 2015 for the new Taipei Performing Arts Center is to premiere next month during the venue’s official opening season, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra said.
The piece, titled Taipei, was composed by Chien Nan-chang (錢南章) and is to be performed on Aug. 7 by the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Chien Wen-pin (簡文彬), it said in a statement on Thursday.
The symphony evokes aspects of Taipei’s development and festivities over the years, said Chien Nan-chang, 74, a 2005 winner of the National Award for Arts.
“I was raised in Taipei and grew up in the city,” he said. “My life is closely connected to Taipei.”
The developments that he drew on for the composition include the Bangka (艋舺, also known as Monga) and Dadaocheng (大稻埕) areas along the Tamsui River (淡水河), and the landmark Taipei 101 skyscraper, while the festivities were the dragon boat races and local religious events, he said.
During the premier of the symphony at the new Taipei Performing Arts Center in Shilin District (士林), a film about Taipei would be shown, the orchestra said.
The film was made by director Shen Ko-shang (沈可尚) and award-winning cinematographer Hsia Shao-yu (夏紹瑜), it said.
The orchestra said that it plans to release a digital and CD recording of Chien Nan-chang’s symphony on Aug. 1.
Construction on the Taipei Performing Arts Center began in 2012, and it opened in March on a trial basis, after years of delays.
The arts center formally launched its opening season on July 2 and is scheduled to host more than 70 performances over the next three months, its Web site says.
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