Taipei, July 20 (CNA) A youth group established by the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) made its debut with a five-city tour starting Thursday, according to the Taipei-based NSO.
The National Symphony Youth Orchestra gave its first performance that day at Northern Miaoli Art Center in Zhunan Township, Miaoli County, where the group has been taking lessons from senior NSO members since July 14 in preparation for the concerts, NSO Music Director Jun Märkl told CNA in a recent interview.
For the youth orchestra's debut tour titled "Woven Dreams," Märkl said he picked four pieces which are more challenging for such educational programs, because he wanted to show the young musicians how a professional orchestra operates, and to help them build the confidence they need to overcome challenges.
The four pieces the youth orchestra will perform include Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa's "Woven Dreams," Igor Stavinsky's "the Firebird Suite," Ottorino Respighi's "Pini di Roma," and Erich Wolfgan Korngold's "Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35"
According to Märkl, the 105 young musician, including nine from Japan and Singapore, have made significant progress during the week-long training program.
Although the musicians aged 12-25 appeared nervous on their first day, they soon formed groups and played with each other after a day of practicing and rehearsing, Märkl said.
The young musicians have been joined by Carolin Widmann, who arrived in Taiwan on Monday and is the guest violinist during the tour, according to a recent statement released by the NSO.
Following the first concert in Miaoli, they will perform at the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Nantou County on Friday and the Taitung Art and Culture Center in the southeastern county on Sunday, according to the NSO.
On July 25, the youth orchestra will give its fourth concert at National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in the southern port city, before wrapping up the tour at the National Concert Hall in Taipei on July 26, the NSO said.
