An Extraordinary Music Revolution

Hailed as one of the cultural centrepieces of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Philharmonic - now in its 40th professional season - attracts over 200,000 music lovers to its annual series of 150 concerts. Music Director Jaap van Zweden, awarded Musical America's Conductor of the Year 2012, is set to cast his extraordinary musical spell over music-lovers in Taiwan. He directs the orchestra in two of the great revolutionary showpieces of classical music – Beethoven's breathtaking Violin Concerto, with Ning Feng as soloist, and Shostakovich's dramatic and powerful Fifth Symphony.

One of the greatest violin concertos in history, Beethoven's revolutionised the way composers regarded the instrument, for the first time thrusting it into the spotlight as a heroic figurehead. Burdened down by threats from an oppressive environment, Shostakovich turned near disaster into total triumph with his Fifth Symphony. Hear Jaap's extraordinarily vivid interpretation of these two unique examples of a musical revolution.

Programme

Beethoven Violin Concerto
Shostakovich Symphony no. 5


Approx 2 hours (including a 20 minute interval)

Programme Enquiries (886) 2 2720 8578 / (852) 2721 2332 / www.hkphil.org

Co-presenters