2025 Taiwan Connection Music Festival

The 2025 TC Music Festival takes a bold step forward, venturing into a “New World.”

In the TC Chamber Orchestra Concerts, the centerpiece of the program is Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” composed in 1892. Premiered to immediate acclaim, it remains one of his most beloved works—particularly its second movement, often associated with the song Goin’ Home. The concert also features a string orchestra version of Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 135, presented in memory of the late Maestro Fou Ts’ong on the fifth anniversary of his passing. Adding to the evening’s brilliance, violinist Nai-Yuan Hu and cellist Gary Hoffman join forces in Brahms’s Double Concerto, bringing their artistry to this dramatic and passionate masterpiece.

The chamber music spotlight begins with TC International Chamber Music Series I, which presents two of Brahms’s late works. In the summer of 1890, Brahms completed his String Quintet in G major, a composition of orchestral breadth and profound maturity. Sending the score to his publisher, he hinted at retirement. Yet, inspired by clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, Brahms was drawn back to composing, creating the luminous Clarinet Quintet in B minor. Dedicated to Mühlfeld, the piece explores the clarinet’s expressive depth, weaving tender dialogues with the strings to create an autumnal soundscape—poignant, reflective, and tinged with farewell.

Series II continues with a vibrant dialogue across eras and styles. Jean Françaix’s Clarinet Quintet reveals his refined mastery of color, balance, and lighthearted wit, unfolding like an elegant conversation. Mozart’s String Quintet in C major contrasts sharply, brimming with operatic drama—its instrumental exchanges evoking duets and arias. The program further highlights two viola duos by British composers Frank Bridge and York Bowen, showcasing the richness and distinctive voice of the 20th-century British viola repertoire.

In French Impression, TC turns the spotlight on three quintessentially French works. Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2 fuses exotic Eastern colors with blues-inflected rhythms, mirroring his fascination with diverse sound worlds. Françaix’s Divertissement sparkles with theatrical flair, its playful exchanges brimming with humor and charm. Closing the program, Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor—with its luminous textures and layered emotions—remains strikingly fresh and evocative more than a century after its premiere.

Together, these programs illuminate a rich tapestry of musical voices—from the grandeur of the symphonic stage to the intimacy of chamber music—inviting audiences to embark on a journey that spans centuries, styles, and continents.