衛武營國家藝術文化中心 National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

In the history of Western classical music, arriving in the 20th century, we find music was no longer composed of traditional harmony or polyphony. Down what path did music go instead? A variety of overlapping new styles let listeners experience a new fantasy.

Swedish composer Anders HILLBORG simulates the brewing and eruption of lava through endless glissandos and peculiar clusters. The composer has commented that he wants to create sounds that do not particularly "make you glad or sad," but purely offer a portrait of the phenomenon in nature.

The Finnish composer Jean SIBELIUS had been trying to capture the throb of nature in music. In the symphonic poem "The Swan of Tuonela," inspired by the Finnish mythological epic the Kalevala, the composer applies dark harmony and hazy instrumentations to symbolize the quietude of the hero Lemminkäinen's death.

In the symphony Doctor Atomic, adapted from his opera of the same name, American composer John ADAMS uses a minimalistic music vocabulary and orchestration full of dynamics to fully express protagonist J. Robert OPPENHEIMER's mood participating in the test of the first atomic bomb. The final section of the piece is cleverly connected to Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART's most tragic work, Piano Concerto No. 20 in d minor (also played in the first half of this concert), foreshadowing the sadness and desolation of modern times.

  Pre-talk  

2023/4/14(Fri)19:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

  Program  

Anders HILLBORG: Liquid Marble (Asian Premiere)

W. A. MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 20 in d minor, KV 466

J. SIBELIUS: "The Swan of Tuonela" from Lemminkäinen Suite

John ADAMS: Doctor Atomic Symphony (Taiwan Premiere)

  Creative and Production Team  

Conductor｜David ROBERTSON

Piano｜Francesco PIEMONTESI

National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra

  Artists Introduction  

Conductor｜David ROBERTSON

David ROBERTSON has served in numerous artistic leadership positions, such as chief conductor and artistic director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and a transformative 13-year tenure as music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, solidifying its status among the nation's most innovative, establishing fruitful relationships with a spectrum of artists, and garnering a 2014 Grammy for the Nonesuch release of John Adams's City Noir. Conductor, artist, thinker, and American musical visionary, he is a highly sought-after podium figure in the worlds of opera, orchestral, and new music, celebrated worldwide as a champion of contemporary composers, an ingenious and adventurous programmer, and a masterful communicator whose passionate advocacy for the art form is widely recognized.

Mr. ROBERTSON's earlier leadership positions include posts at the Orchestre national de Lyon, Ensemble InterContemporain as a protégé of Pierre Boulez, principal guest conductor at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and a Carnegie Hall Perspectives Artist, where he has conducted numerous orchestras. He appears regularly with Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and other major European orchestras and festivals. He continues a longstanding collaboration with the New York Philharmonic, and conducts numerous North American ensembles, including the Montreal, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, National, Houston, and Dallas symphony orchestras and the Juilliard Orchestra, where he serves as director of conducting studies, distinguished visiting faculty.

He continues to build upon his deep conducting relationship with The Metropolitan Opera, including James ROBINSON's production of Porgy and Bess (2019) and the premiere of Phelim McDERMOTT's production of Così fan tutte (2018). Since his 1996 Met Opera debut, leading JANÁČEK's The Makropulos Case, he has conducted projects ranging from The Met premiere of John ADAMS's The Death of Klinghoffer (2014) to the 2016 revival of JANÁČEK's Jenůfa; and many favorites. He conducts at the world's most prestigious opera houses, including Milan's Teatro alla Scala, Paris's Théâtre du Châtelet, and those in Rome, San Francisco, and Santa Fe.

David ROBERTSON is the recipient of numerous awards, and in 2010 was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France. He is devoted to supporting young musicians and has worked with students at festivals ranging from Aspen to Tanglewood to Lucerne.

Piano｜Francesco PIEMONTESI

Swiss pianist Francesco PIEMONTESI is an exceptionally expressive musician. The British magazine, the Spectator, has praised: "PIEMONTESI combines stunning technique with an intellectual capacity that few can match." Well-known for his romantic and sensual style, PIEMONTESI has performed a wide repertoire, including BRAHMS, LISZT, DVOŘÁK, RAVEL, DEBUSSY, and other music from the late 19th and 20th centuries, all of which the pianist has researched thoroughly and played with a distinct interpretation. Born in Locarno in 1983, PIEMONTESI studied with the Austrian pianist Alfred BRENDEL, with whom he continued collaborating closely for many years. PIEMONTESI says that BRENDEL taught him "to love the detail of things." Winner of the 2007 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, PIEMONTESI was awarded the fellowship of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust in 2009 and has worked frequently with topnotch orchestras since then, including Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony, NHK Symphony Orchestra, etc. He has been the Artistic Director of the Settimane Musicali di Ascona since 2012.

National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1945, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) is the oldest symphony orchestra in Taiwan. Since its establishment, it has been successively affiliated with the Taiwan Garrison Command, Taiwan Art Construction Association, Taiwan Provincial Department of Education, Department of Culture, Council for Cultural Affairs, and the Executive Yuan. In May of 2012, it came under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The orchestra is located in Wufeng, Taichung. It is a full-fledged music group with a full complement of software and hardware.

Over 70 years of history, under the directors of the past and the efforts of the current director LIU Suan-yung, the NTSO has accumulated extensive performing experience. Countless international teams and musicians have been invited to perform with the NTSO.

Since 2019, the internationally renowned conductor maestro Lan SHUI has taken on the position of the NTSO Principal Guest Conductor, cooperating with the NTSO Director LIU to enrich artistic skills, innovate on tradition, deepen education, and promote aesthetics, thus enhancing the public's musical life, making music ever-present like air, water and sunshine.

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