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

Before he was even thirty, Lahav SHANI joined the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra as Chief Conductor. In the 2020/21 music season, he took over the position of Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra from Maestro Zubin MEHTA, and has become one of the preeminent conductors in Europe with his emotional, calm, and dignified style. Instead of exaggerating conducting gestures, SHANI excels in delicate and unrestrained hand movements, bringing up the more dense and full acoustic from each instrument section. In these two performances, SHANI and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra will be presenting Johannes BRAHMS's Symphony No.1, which took the composer twenty years to finish and was the breakthrough of his career bottleneck, and Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY's Symphony Pathétique, into which TCHAIKOVSKY instilled his life experiences and sophisticated taste.

In both concerts, the Rotterdam Philharmonic will be joined by soloists for concertos. On June 16th, violinist Paul HUANG will perform BRAHMS's Violin Concerto, which shows the composer's intimate thoughts, integrating wildness and tranquility.

On June 17th, in his highly anticipated Taiwan debut, Bruce LIU, first prize winner of the 2021 Chopin Competition, will play Ludwig van BEETHOVEN's Piano Concerto No. 3, which expanded the vocabulary of classical music with a hurricane spirit.

  Pre-talk  

2023/6/16(Fri)19:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

2023/6/17(Sat)19:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

  Program  

2023/6/16(Fri)19:30

J. BRAHMS: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77 

J. BRAHMS: Symphony No.1 in c minor, Op. 68

2023/6/17(Sat)19:30

L. v. BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No.3 in c minor, Op. 37 

P. I. TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No.6 in b minor, Op. 74, Pathétique

  Creative and Production Team  

Conductor｜Lahav SHANI

Violin｜Paul HUANG（6/16(Fri)）

Piano｜Bruce LIU（6/17(Sat)）

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

  Artists Introduction  

Conductor｜Lahav SHANI

Lahav SHANI is chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He assumed his position in September 2018, succeeding Yannick Nézet-SÉGUIN and becoming the youngest Chief Conductor in the orchestra's history. In the 2020/21 season, SHANI succeeded Zubin MEHTA as Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 2017/18 season, SHANI became Principal Guest Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, following a number of appearances with the orchestra since his debut in May 2015, including a major European tour in January 2016. He also works regularly with the Berlin Staatskapelle, both at the Berlin Staatsoper and also for symphonic concerts.

SHANI was born in Tel Aviv in 1989 and started his piano studies aged six with Hannah SHALGI, continuing with Prof. Arie VARDI at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv. He went on to complete his studies in conducting with Prof. Christian EHWALD and piano with Prof. Fabio BIDINI, both at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. Whilst a student he was mentored by Daniel BARENBOIM. In 2013 he won First Prize in the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg.

June 2016 saw Lahav SHANI's debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra as a conductor and as a piano soloist; his appointment as Chief Conductor from 2018 was announced two months later.

Violin｜Paul HUANG

Recipient of the prestigious 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, violinist Paul HUANG is considered to be one of the most distinctive artists of his generation. The Washington Post proclaimed him as "an artist with the goods for a significant career" following his recital debut at the Kennedy Center. Mr. HUANG's recent and forthcoming appearances include Nürnberger Symphoniker with Kahchun Wong, Residentie Orkest Den Haag with Jun Märkl, Rotterdam Philharmonic with Lahav Shani, Dallas Symphony with Fabio Luisi, Mariinsky Orchestra with Gergiev, Houston Symphony with Andres Orozco-Estrada, Seoul Philharmonic with Markus Stenz, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan with Jun Märkl. In addition to his recital debuts at both Lucerne Festival and Aspen Music Festival, Paul also stepped in for Anne-Sophie Mutter at Bravo! Vail Music Festival with Chamber Orchestra Vienna-Berlin performing MOZART Violin Concerto No.4 to critical acclaim. Paul performs on the legendary 1742 Ex-Wieniawski Guarneri del Gesu, on extended loan from the Stradivari Society of Chicago. He resides in New York and is currently on the faculty of Taipei National University of the Arts.

Piano｜Bruce LIU

Bruce LIU was brought to the world's attention in 2021, when he won the First Prize at the 18th Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw.

Following his competition's success, he immediately embarks on a world tour, appearing at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Wiener Konzerthaus, BOZAR Brussels, Tokyo Opera City, Sala São Paulo, Royal Festival Hall with the Philharmonia Orchestra, U.S tour with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. Past highlights include performance with ensembles such as the Cleveland Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as North-America tour with the China NCPA Orchestra.

His upcoming highlights include debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, European tour with Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker at Musikverein, festival appearances at la Roque d’Anthéron, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Rheingau, Edinburgh, Chopin and his Europe, Duszniki, and Gstaad Menuhin. 

An exclusive recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon, his first album featuring the winning performances from the Chopin Competition won a Fryderyk Award and received international acclaim including both the Critics' choice and Editor's choice from the Gramophone Magazine, as well as being included in its list of Best classical albums from 2021. 

"What we all have in common is our difference", the young pianist likes to say. Born in Paris to Chinese parents, Bruce LIU grew up in Montreal. His life has been steeped in cultural diversity, which has shaped his differences in attitude, personality and character. He draws on various sources of inspiration for his art: European refinement, Chinese long tradition, North American dynamism and openness. Following his artist path with optimism and a smile, his teachers include Richard RAYMOND and DANG Thai-son.

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra distinguishes itself with its intensely energetic performances, its acclaimed recordings and its innovative audience approach. Founded in 1918, it has claimed its own position among Europe's most foremost orchestras. After the first pioneering years, the Rotterdam Philharmonic developed into one of the foremost orchestras of the Netherlands under Eduard FLIPSE, principal conductor from 1930. In the 1970s, under Jean FOURNET and Edo de WAART, the orchestra gained international recognition. Valery GERGIEV’s appointment heralded a new period of bloom, which continued with Yannick Nézet-SÉGUIN and with Lahav SHANI, principal conductor from 2018.

Home of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra is De Doelen Concert Hall, but the orchestra can frequently be heard in other locations – from the local venues to the most prestigious halls at home and abroad. Since 2010, the Rotterdam Philharmonic has been a resident orchestra of the Paris Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. With performances from the local venues to concert halls worldwide, educational performances and community projects, the orchestra reaches an annual audience of 150,000 to 200,000, among which a considerable amount of young people.