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.

To mark its 20th anniversary, TC welcomed renowned pianist Robert Levin to Taiwan for a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, featuring his signature improvisations. The program also included Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major, “The Great”, and the overture to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

Levin also appeared in the TC International Chamber Music Series with violinist Dong-Suk Kang, violist Paul Neubauer, cellists Henri Demarquette and Mon-Puo Lee, and pianist Ya-Fei Chuang.

The 2024 TC Chamber Orchestra Concerts featured top musicians from five countries and eight major orchestras, performing alongside Taiwan’s leading mid-career and emerging artists. The program highlighted Schubert’s expansive and melodic “Great” Symphony, praised by Schumann as a work of “heavenly length.”

Chamber Music Series I — Eternal Brilliance celebrated the timeless works of Mozart and Schubert, whose brief lives left a lasting legacy.
Series II — Impassioned Beauty featured Glazunov, Dvořák, and Mendelssohn, blending Slavic lyricism with Western classical traditions.

The festival also saw TC’s first collaboration with the National Concert Hall and E. SUN Foundation, presenting a relaxed evening of classical favorites in a casual, welcoming atmosphere.