At the invitation of Asian-Canadian Special Events Association (ACSEA), the National Chinese Orchestra of Taiwan (NCO) will perform live at various venues in Canada between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2 as part of the Vancouver TAIWANfest, presenting the stories of Taiwan and its local culture through Chinese orchestral music in the hope that more people can appreciate the beauty of Taiwan.
The NCO's first stop will be at the Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage in Toronto on Aug. 26, followed by the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver on Sept. 2. The orchestra will also organize two sessions of music exchange workshop on Aug. 27 and Sept. 2.
Echoing the theme of the TAIWANfest this year, the NCO states in its press release that the orchestra hopes to connect with the world by utilizing popular music harmonies and techniques of Chinese orchestral music. NCO Concertmaster and Winds Section Leader Liu Ching-ling (劉貞伶) will perform an adaptation of a Romanian folk song "Skylark" with a flute to mimic the sound of the bird. Strings Section Leader Kao Meng-lan (高孟嵐) will perform the song "Anamnesis (思想起)" with daguangxian (大廣弦), a two-stringed vertical fiddle. Pluck Strings Leader Lin Ming-hui (林明慧) will perform an adaptation of a Hakka "Hill Song" and as a soloist on yangqin (揚琴), a Chinese hammered dulcimer.
Percussion Section Leader Lin Ya-hsueh (林雅雪) will use a bamboo percussion instrument to perform the Taiwanese folk song "Tiu-tiu Tâng-á (丟丟銅仔)," creating a lively atmosphere; and NCO's principal sheng player Chen Chi-Mi (陳麒米) will perform "Spanish Gypsy Dance."
From its humble beginnings as the Music Night of Taiwanese Composers in 1990, TAIWANfest has grown to be the largest English/Mandarin bilingual cultural festival in all of Canada, and the largest event outside the island nation to bear the name "Taiwan." The annual summer event takes place in downtown Vancouver, attracting over 350,000 visitors.
(Photo credit: National Chinese Orchestra of Taiwan )