Philharmonia Moment Musical

The Philharmonia Moment Musical is a non-professional symphony orchestra in Taiwan. It was founded in February 1999 by Taiwanese conductor Po-Po Chiang. Since 2002, PMM has been selected as quality group of performing arts by Council for Cultural Affairs of Republic of China in 5 consecutive years.

Affiliates

* ''Youth Moment Musical'' - youth orchestra
* ''A Capella Moment Musical'' - women's choir

National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra

The National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1945, is the oldest symphony orchestra in Taiwan. It is based in , .

Principal conductor

* Chiu Chun-chiang , 2006-present

General Directors

* Tsai Chih-kue
* Wang Shin-chi
* Day Tsuei-lung
* Shin Wei-liang
* Deng Han-chin
* Chen Tscheng-Hsiung
* Su Chung
* Ko Chi-liang
* Liu Shuan-yung

Affiliates

* NTSO Wind Ensemble
* NTSO Youth Band

National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan)

The National Symphony Orchestra , also known as Philharmonia Taiwan in foreign countries, is one of the leading orchestras in Asia. Since 1987, the orchestra has its residence in the .

Activities

Subscription Concert Series

In the year of 2002, NSO held a series of five concerts that featured all nine symphonies and five piano concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven. The concerts, called a ''discovery cycle'' , became NSO's regular Subscription Concert Series later since the 2004/2005 season. In each season, there are ten concerts consisting of at least one orchestral work of a composer.

From September 2004 to June 2008, four Subscription Concert Series have been presented.

; 2007/2008 -
; 2006/2007 - Richard Strauss
; 2005/2006 -
; 2004/2005 -
;

In the 2008/2009 season, a newly created MyNSO series took place of the Subscription Concert Series.

Opera Series

Already in November 1994, NSO performed opera in , ''Der fliegende Holl?nder'' was led by Prof. TSENG Dao-hsiung , in December 2000, Jahja Ling performed ''''. Under Chien Wen-pin's directorship, he first tried a semi-stage performance of the Third Act of ''Die Walküre'' in May 2002, this experience became NSO's regular NSO Opera Series from the 2002/2003 season. In each season, there are two opera directed by cross-over artist in Taiwan, the cast consisted mainly local singers.

From December 2002 to December 2007, fourteen operas have been produced, many of them were Taiwan's premier*.

; 2007/2008 - ''Die Fledermaus''
; 2006/2007 - *''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' , ''Die lustige Witwe''
; 2005/2006 - ''Cosi fan tutte'', ''Le nozze di Figaro''
; 2004/2005 - *'''', *''Falstaff''
; 2003/2004 - *''La damnation de Faust'', ''Don Giovanni''
; 2002/2003 - ''Tosca'', *''Tristan und Isolde''

Fairy Tale Forever Series

From April 2002 to April 2008, NSO has been collaborated with four different performing groups and organizations for bringing musical experiences to the young audiences.

; 2007/2008 - ''Peer Gynt''
; 2006/2007 - ''''
; 2005/2006 - ''Firebird''
; 2004/2005 - ''Secret in the Woods''
; 2003/2004 - ''Pied Piper Fantasy''
; 2002/2003 - ''Peter and the Wolf''

Artistic Direction

* Gerard Akoka, artistic advisor and principal conductor 1986-1990
* Urs Schneider, artistic advisor and principal conductor 1991-1992
* Hsu Chang-huei , music director 1994
* Chang Da-sheng , music director 1995-1997
* Jahja Ling , music director 1998-2001
* Chien Wen-pin , music director 2001-2007
* Gunther Herbig, artistic advisor and principal guest conductor 2008-2010

''An announcement of Music Director search has been made by the orchestra in August 2008.''

Musicians

; Concertmasters : Wu Ting-yu , Li I-ching
; Associate concertmaster : Teng Hao-tun
; Assistant Conductor : Chang Yin-fang

* Strings
* Woodwinds
* Brass
* Timpani & Percussion
* Harp
* Piano '''

Staffs

; Executive Director
Joyce Chiou

*Artistic Planning division
*Production & Administration division

; Chairperson of the Board of Directors, National Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center
TCHEN Yu-chiou

; Artistic Director, National Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center
LIU Chung-shu

; Deputy Director, National Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center
HSIEH Tsui-yu

Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra

Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1981 during Wang Yu-yun’s tenure as Kaohsiung, Taiwan mayor. At that time, Huang Hsiao-yen was the leader of the orchestra and Cheng Chao-ming served as the conductor. With the hard work of a succession of mayors, including Hsu Shui-te, Su Nan-cheng, and Wu Tun-yi, KCSO experienced steady growth. In 1986, KCSO invited former associate conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Henry Mazer to conduct the orchestra, which later on underwent expansion. And in 1991, the orchestra was renamed into Kaohsiung City Experimental Symphony Orchestra, a change from an amateur ensemble to a professional gruop. In 1993, Hsiao Pang-hsiang was appointed conductor, and in 1999, Chen Shu-Si succeeded as the General Director of the orchestra. In 2000, during the tenure of mayor Hsieh Chang-ting, the construction of Kaohsiung City Music Center was completed and the music center, standing beside the Love River, became home to the orchestra, which at the same time was officially changed into the Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra. In 2001, in an effort to bring together the resources from all circles, to encourage participation in music and cultural activities, and to facilitate the sustainable development of the orchestra, the KCSO Foundation of Orchestra, Culture, Art, and Education was set up and KCSO became Taiwan’s first professional performing group that is supported altogether by the foundation, government, and local enterprises.

In July 2007, in an open selection, Chu Hung-chang was elected as the general director of KCSO.

For the past few years, KCSO has been working hard to become the finest orchestra in southern Taiwan and to breathe new life into classical music. It has cooperated with several world renowned groups and artists, including José Carreras, Canadian Royal Winnipeg Ballet, British National Ballet, the Canadian “funny” soprano Natalie Choquette, Italian violin virtuoso Salvatore Accardo, Swedish guitarist of the neo-classical genre Yngwie Johann Malmsteen, US pop and classical music conductor Erich Kunzel, Argentina’s iconic musicians Alicia Terzian and Raefel Gintoli, the Chinese piano poet Fu Tsong, enowned Taiwanese violin virtuosos Lin Cho-Liang and Hu Nai-yuan. KCSO has also accompanied for local performing groups, such as Ming Hwa Yuan Taiwanese Opera, Neo-Classic Dance Company, Kaohsiung City Ballet, and Spring Wind Art Theatre. Such abundant experiences and diversified performances have brought KCSO good reputation.
Besides the thirty to forty something regular concerts during the year and performances on invitation, KCSO also gives outdoor concerts in local communities as well as mini-concerts that are especially for schoolchildren, all of which are well accepted by the public, students, and teachers. Furthermore, KCSO is active in supporting major cultural and art activities hosted by the Kaohsiung City government, such as the 2001 Lantern Festival in Kaohsiung and the 2001 Kaohsiung International Container Arts Festival. It has supported other large activities held by the Council for Cultural Affairs, including 2004 Performing Arts on Campus and 2005 Taiwan Envision Art Festival. KCSO’s enthusiasm and organization capability is considered second to none in Taiwan.

KCSO has worked to make improvements, increase activity, and raise its international profile. And in order to breathe new life into local music development in Kaohsiung and to get the general public closer to music, KCSO is active in cooperating local and international musicians and planning more guided concerts to attract more audience. KCSO hopes to become a symbol of culture that local residents can feel proud of.

Evergreen Symphony Orchestra

The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra is a orchestra founded by Chang Yung-Fa Foundation of Evergreen Group in 2001. The orchestra is featured by bringing up talented Taiwanese players and promoting Taiwanese folk music.

History

In April 2001, the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation invited a number of Chinese musicians and well-known international arts consultants to help form a 20-person Evergreen Orchestra, which was soon expended to a a 70-person symphony orchestra in 2002. Lim Kek-tjiang, a renowned Chinese-Indonesian violinist and conductor, was invited to be the first music director and chief conductor. In July 2004, 36-year-old Wang Ya-hui, the then music director of Akron Symphony Orchestra and former receiver of Evergreen Music Scholarship, took over at the position and became the first female head of symphony orchestra in Taiwan.

ESO has held regular concerts since October 2002 and performs local Taiwanese folk songs and ballads in the form of symphonic music in addition to famous classical works at each concert. Since September 2004, they begun tours abroad, include public performances at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, Beethoven Music Festival in Tokyo, Japan, and a successful tour to Beijing and Shanghai, China.

In addition to performing, ESO also aims for education. In March 2005, they organized an international musical education event and invited the internationally renowned violinist Zakhar Bron to Taiwan to share and teach his skills to local students.

Music directors

* Lim Kek-tjiang , 2002-2004
* Wang Ya-hui , 2004-2006
* Gernot Schmalfuss, 2007-present

Chimei Philharmonic Orchestra

Chimei Philharmonic Orchestra , formerly known as Chimei Symphony Orchestra , is a symphony orchestra organized in 2003 by , an international plastics producer and liquid crystal display maker.

In early 2007, they changed their name to Chimei Philharmonic Orchestra and appointed Lu Ching-ming the new music director.

Music directors and chief conductors

* Naoki Tokuoka , ?-2007
* Lu Ching-ming , 2007-present

Taipei Symphony Orchestra

The Taipei Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1969, is one of the leading orchestras based in Taipei, Taiwan.

After a series of election concerts, TSO engaged Martin Fischer-Dieskau as new Music Director Designate in January, 2008.

Introduction

Under the direction of Felix Chen from 1986 to 2003, the Orchestra grew in size and strength, the number of orchestra members increased, and the length of the season expanded. He also broadened the Orchestra's repertoire by introducing new and unfamiliar works from all music styles and periods, while maintaining the highest standard of traditional classical music. For the 2004 season, the Taipei City Government nominated the well-known bassoonist, Chia-Chu Hsu as the General Director.

Taipei Music Festival

In 1979, ''Taipei Music Festival'', instructed by former Taipei City Mayor Lee Teng-hui, was created to promote cultural activity within the island of Taiwan. Over the years, the festival has been recognized worldwide for its successful performances and international roster of artists, such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Russian State Philharmonic Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and Rundfunk-Sinfonie Orchester Berlin.

The opera produced by TSO in the festival every year is also an important musical event in the island. TSO has performed La traviata, , Carmen, Turandot, La bohème, Aida, Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, Otello, , and .

Music directors and principal conductors

* Teng Chang-kuo , 1969–1973
* Chen Tun-chu , 1973-1986
* Felix Chen, 1986-2003
* András Ligeti, 2005-2007
* Martin Fischer-Dieskau, 2008-present

Current members

''As of December 11, 2006.''
; General director: Hsu Chia-chu
; Deputy director: Chen Shu-shi
; Concertmasters: Daniel Wei-chung Chiang, Chiang Chih-i

Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra

The Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra is a Taiwanese orchestra based in Taipei.

History

Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1985 by a group of enthusiastic musicians. It has come a long way under the direction of late American conductor Henry Mazer, who came from Chicago Symphony Orchestra and stayed with TPO for over 18 years.

In 1990, TPO undertook their first overseas concert tours to Europe and North America, with performances in France, Belgium, Austria, the United States, and Canada. Franz Endler, one of Vienna's leading music critics, wrote in the Vienna Kurier Newspaper, "The ensemble plays with precision and unity... the Sinfonietta is of considerable quality... This conductor made Schubert come alive and touch our hearts again."

In 1995, TPO embarked on yet another tour to the United States. One of the performances was given at one of the United States leading concert halls, the Boston Symphony Hall. The New York and Boston media showed with positive reviews. Among them, Richard Dyer, the editor of the Music Page of the Boston Globe, who wrote, "The first sound of the Taipei Philharmonic in Boston Symphony Hall was electrifying. The way the orchestra plays is a real tribute to Mazers musicianship. Mazer has a rare understanding of how Verklarte Nacht is constructed, how it should sound and the wallop it should pack. They play with glowing sound, precision of intonation, absolute unanimity of impulse and rare commitment."

In September 2001, TPO, led by conductor Lin Tien-chi, had a tour to Scandinavia to give two concerts in Stockholm, Sweden, and Helsinki, Finland. This event was the first time that a Taiwanese symphonic orchestra has ever been invited to perform in Scandinavia. In the following May 2002, TPO went to Germany and Czech Republic as a guest performer during the Prague Spring International Music Festival with Czech pianist Martin Kasik, followed by concerts at the Braunschweig Classix Festival in Germany, and the Janacek International Music Festival in the Czech Republic.

Music directors

*Henry Mazer
*Alexander Rudin
*Chang Long-Yun

Taipei Century Symphony Orchestra

The Taipei Century Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Taiwan.

Taichung City Symphony Orchestra

The Taichung City Symphony Orchestra is a young professional symphony orchestra consist of 75 musicians established in 2003.

Symphony Orchestra of the National Taiwan Normal University Department of Music

Symphony Orchestra of the National Taiwan Normal University Department of Music is the official symphony orchestra of the oldest college music department in Taiwan, the NTNU Department of Music.

The National Taiwan Normal University Music Department Symphony Orchestra was established in 1975. The promotion of art and culture was its mission, in addition to the organization’s aim to train a young generation of outstanding musical talents and cultivate the audience in music appreciation. The NTNU orchestra performs regularly in the National Concert Hall in Taipei, tours to other local cultural centers, presents outdoors concerts and gives a concerto evening concert annually.

In 1975, the Music Department of National Taiwan Normal University invited a number of musicians, professors, students and well-known international maestros to form the Symphony Orchestra. Through the years it gradually expanded to a 92-piece full size undergraduate student symphony orchestra. Internationally famed Taiwanese conductor Apo Hsu, was appointed as the music director and conductor in fall of 2003. While maintaining a core of classical repertoire from Baroque era’s Bach and Handel to the 21st century, the orchestra takes on the challenges of performing works of our time with Taiwanese and international composers and brings their music making to a high standard and level of excellence.