Respected conductor thanks Taiwanese audience’s support during 10-year tenure
Taiwan News
Date: 2020/06/21
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Lu Shao-chia conducts his last NSO concert on Saturday. (CNA photo)
The concert, titled "Lu & Mahler 9," attracted a sold-out crowd of more than 500 music lovers Saturday evening, including many who drove all the way from southern Taiwan to witness Lu's brilliance. Newly appointed Minister of Culture Li Yong-de (李永得), his wife, Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩), and Cloud Gate Dance Theater founder Lin Hwai-min (林懷民) were also in attendance, according to Radio Taiwan International.
In the first half of the concert, the orchestra performed Haydn's Symphony No. 45, also known as the "Farewell Symphony," as a tribute to Lu's contributions to the island nation's music culture over the last decade. The beloved director went on to conduct Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 9 for the third time in his career later in the performance, paralleling his NSO departure and the Austro-Bohemian composer's farewell to the world.
At the end of the concert, Lu expressed his gratitude for Taiwanese music lovers' constant support. He said that he regretted not being able to converse with the audience but that the concert pieces had conveyed all his thoughts and feelings. [FULL STORY]
