Taipei Chinese Orchestra's European Tour Finale in Vienna Sold Out with Enthusiastic Atmosphere

(Central News Agency, Vienna, 7th) The Taipei Chinese Orchestra performed at the Golden Hall (Musikverein) in Vienna today, showcasing the sound of Taiwan with its strength, drawing continuous applause. The day before the performance, all available seats were sold out, but due to persistent requests from the overseas Taiwanese community, additional seats with restricted views were urgently opened, creating a lively atmosphere.

The "Golden Hall" in Vienna is listed as one of the world's top ten concert halls and is the home of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien. Since its inauguration in 1870, it has become famous across Europe in a very short time due to its magnificent and classical interior design and perfect acoustics.

Today's concert began at 11 a.m., which in Vienna is simply a part of life. Led by Orchestra Director Cheng Li-pin, the orchestra opened with Chen Shu-si's "The Procession of the Gods." The suona players walked into the audience while playing, creating a thunderous sound that seemed to declare the start of a Taiwanese musical feast, attracting curious glances from many foreign music fans.

Following this, the orchestra performed Tyzen Hsiao's emotionally moving "Cello Concerto." Cellist Yang Wen-sin's sound was solid and penetrating, with vivid and captivating melodies, and the cello's tone resonated gracefully in the Golden Hall.

In the second half, the orchestra performed Su Wen-ching's "Taiwan Rhapsody," often called the "national anthem of Chinese orchestras." The warm and nostalgic ensemble created a brilliant contrast with the contemporary flair of the subsequent piece, Wang Yi-yu's "Kui Yi's Love" flute concerto.

Today was the final stop of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra's European tour. For the encore, Cheng Li-pin brought a Vienna-exclusive piece, Johann Strauss II's "Thunder and Lightning Polka," which received enthusiastic applause from the audience. For the final piece, Teng Yu-hsien's "Spring Breeze," Cheng invited Representative to Austria Liu Hsuan-yung, also a musician, to conduct, bringing a warm conclusion to today's concert.

Huang Shu-lin, General Manager of Asia Arts, which was responsible for the European tour's ticketing and marketing, told CNA that preparations began as early as January this year. They collaborated with the marketing channels of renowned venues like the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, and the Vienna Musikverein, and with significant help from the overseas Taiwanese community and the representative office, this layered approach generated strong momentum for ticket purchases and promotion, resulting in brilliant and enthusiastic box office performance.

Today, the Taipei Representative Office in Austria invited Member of Parliament Dominik Oberhofer, local officials, and music industry figures to attend. Oberhofer stated that having Taiwan's traditional classics performed in Vienna, the "heart of classical music," was the best arrangement. "Taiwan has shown its own music and traditions in its own way, which I think is great."

Vienna-based composer Shih Chieh remarked that the Taipei Chinese Orchestra's adjustments to its performance structure resulted in an overall performance that was "elegant and beautiful." He added that Representative Liu Hsuan-yung conducting the encore demonstrated both literary and martial prowess, earning the admiration of the overseas Taiwanese community.

Cheng Li-pin expressed gratitude for the city government's support and the concerted efforts of the entire orchestra, which made it possible to reach this milestone of visiting three major concert halls. He also mentioned that the orchestra had specially arranged for recording personnel to make live recordings, and if all goes well, an album is expected to be published by the end of the year. The orchestra will depart for Taiwan on the 8th. (Editor: Chung Wei-wei) 1150607