Nearly a decade overdue, Taiwanese orchestra to make Hong Kong debut
After nearly 30 years, island's flagship orchestra offers a refined sound
Taiwan's flagship orchestra is summoning decades of self-confidence to deliver an eclectic programme tomorrow for its debut concert in Hong Kong after a nine-year delay, its maestro said.
The 80-plus member Taiwan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, formed in 1986 and considered the island's top classical ensemble, was primed to showcase its refined sound and homegrown talent for local music fans.
Music director Lu Shao-chia, at the helm since 2010, said the orchestra's first performance in the city in its nearly 30-year history was of "great importance".
He said the orchestra had planned to open the Taiwan Culture Festival - Hong Kong's largest annual cultural festival celebrating the island's heritage - when it started in 2006, but those plans fell through. Its debut concert in the city was set for tomorrow at the Cultural Centre.
Lu, a Taiwan-born, Vienna-trained conductor, said he was mindful of presenting a performance that built on the orchestra's many years of striving for the highest standard.