Taiwan’s National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) will perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington for the Friends of Taiwan Foundation on Wednesday. This is part of the orchestra's ongoing tour in the United States.
Composer Chen Ke-chia (陳可嘉) wrote one of the pieces the orchestra will perform. Chen grew up in Taiwan and is a current faculty member at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Chen’s piece is 15-minutes long and inspired by Taiwan’s natural beauty. Chen says NSO Music Conductor Jun Märkl asked for the piece to be inspired by Taiwan’s diverse ecosystems.
Chen says she was inspired by different elements of the ocean, which plays an important role in people’s livelihoods. She says Taiwan is an island surrounded by the ocean, but it is also connected to different countries via bodies of water.
Chen explains that the piece uses different rhythms and instruments to capture the essence of the ocean. She adds that composing this piece is an important milestone in her career, and she is certain the NSO will perform well under Märkl's leadership.