2024/11/25 Taiwan News
 

The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra will present the British-themed classical music program “Diyang Mei plays Walton’s Viola Concerto” in an uplifting New Year show on Sunday, (Jan. 5), 2:30 p.m., at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Weiwuying Concert Hall.

Classical music is often associated with Germany, Austria, or France. Yet, British classical music is a hidden gem, offering its own distinct charm and style.

The concert features the works of British composers in a rare and refined program, led by 23-year-old Finnish-British conductor Ross Jamie Collins. A laureate of the VII International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition, Collins has studied with the renowned Finnish conductor Jorma Juhani Panula and brings youthful energy and profound artistry to the podium.

The concert opens with “Pomp and Circumstance March No.1,” a world renowned and beloved piece often performed at ceremonies and widely adapted for marching bands. This performance will feature an arrangement with organ, enhancing the music even further.

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1” follows, unfolding the poetic beauty of English folk song and evoking a serene and pastoral countryside imagery. In contrast to the previous tranquility, William Walton’s “Viola Concerto” is a masterpiece of the repertoire known for its profound emotion and lyrical melodies.

The featured concerto soloist is Diyang Mei (梅第揚), principal violist of the Berlin Philharmonic and winner of the 2018 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, where he earned first prize and six special awards, including the Audience Prize.

At just 30 years old, Diyang Mei has been described by The Strad, a leading classical music magazine, as “an imaginative interpreter” and “a player who might just have that intangible quality of an influential voice, perhaps even a new advocate for the viola.” His electrifying playing style, paired with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, promises to bring the viola’s unique characteristics to life.

The program concludes with “The Planets” by Gustav Holst (1874-1934), one of the most celebrated British composers. He has composed many works across a range of genres, and tends to draw inspiration from British folksongs.

“The Planets” is his most popular work. Inspired by astrology, he composed a suite of seven movements, each representing a planet with a distinct musical character.

From the powerful Mars, the “Bringer of War,” to Jupiter, the “Bringer of Jollity” and Neptune, the “Mystic,” the suite offers a series of mood pictures that come alive through Holst’s rich and compelling orchestration. “The Planets” has become a defining representation of English orchestral music and was a significant influence on later British composers.

The Sunday afternoon concert sees the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra present a total of four quintessentially British works. While the pieces vary in tone — some grand and others elegant — they collectively convey an uplifting and confident spirit.

Classical music lovers are warmly invited to the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Weiwuying Concert Hall, to experience this uniquely curated program and to celebrate the New Year with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets are 50% off until Dec. 5, and are available online through OPENTIX. For information about the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra and its concert series, please visit the website or call (02) 2351-6799 #6323 for further information.