Department of Cultural Affairs

By Psyche Cho
Staff Reporter

The Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO) will team up with internationally-renowned violinist Benjamin Schmid and pianist Ivo Pogorelich to present two concert feasts tonight and April 25 in the National Concert Hall.

Versatile violinist Schmid, who is highly regarded in both classic and jazz music, will perform a repertoire of E.W. Korngold: Violin Concerto in D Major, op.35 with four other musicians from Taiwan and abroad. 

Schmid confesses to a particular fondness for the work and has so far given more than 60 performances of the concerto. This record has made the musician a widely acknowledged authority in interpreting Korngold's works.  

To supplement the music feast, the TSO will also perform a selection including P.I. Tchaikovsky: Polonaise from Eugene Onegin, op. 24, and Symphony No. 4 in F minor, op. 36, under the baton of Dorian Wilson.

Pogorelich, known for his unique style— precise in technique yet deeply emotional in performance, will present his interpretation of P.I. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, op.23, jointly with conductor Jean-Claude Casadesus and the TSO April 25.

This piece is one among the most popular in classic music, and has been gradually labeled a part of pop culture after frequent appearances in films, TV and commercials. The concert will also include M. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition.

Before enjoying the feast, local music-goers will have a chance to get closer to the piano master in a seminar set for April 23 in the TSO's practice hall. Pogorelich will host the session while his Taiwanese student Gwhyneth Chen will help with instruction.

Chen, a Taiwanese US pianist, won first place in the Ivo Pogorelich International Solo Piano Competition in 1993, and later gave joint performances with Pogorelich in Taiwan in 2007 and 2011.

For information on tickets or reservations for a free sit-in in the seminar, please call 02-2578-6731 #724 or 722, or visit www.tso.gov.taipei