Under the baton of Artist-in-Residence Jaap van Zweden, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO) continues its mission to present high-caliber classical music performances to audiences across both urban and rural communities in Taiwan. On June 27 and 28, ESO and Maestro van Zweden join forces with acclaimed pianist Arsenii Moon for two concerts“ESO 2025 - Jaap van Zweden & Arsenii Moon” in Hsinchu City and Keelung City. As part of the ESO 2025 season - Maestro’s Selections concert series, the program juxtaposes two significant masterpieces that explore compelling emotional narratives across different eras – Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan”.

The concert opens with Mozart’s profound and dramatically charged Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, a piece that stands apart from the composer’s typically bright and upbeat style. One of the only two piano concertos he composed in a minor key, it is renowned for its emotional depth and somber tone. This performance features the extraordinary rising star Arsenii Moon, winner of the first prize at the 64th Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in 2023, where he also received the competition’s highest honor – the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Award, a distinction awarded solely by the unanimous verdict of the jury and which has not been bestowed in nearly three decades. Muzlife Magazine stated, “Arsenii's greatest strength is his brilliant and fine technique, full of nuances, combined with an aristocratic elegance.”

In the second half, Maestro van Zweden – who has earned international acclaim for his compelling interpretations of Mahler – returns to the podium and leads the ESO in Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan”, infused with his artistic insight. Originally conceived as a tone poem in symphonic form, Mahler titled the work “Titan”, inspired by the novel Titan by the early German Romantic writer Jean Paul. As Mahler famously said, “A symphony must be like the world, it must embrace everything.' Mahler embodied this ideal in the music, blending Romantic lyricism with vivid natural imagery to depict, in his words, “a strong, heroic man, his life and sufferings, his battles and defeat at the hands of Fate.” This symphony underwent years of revision and refinement, ultimately affirming Mahler’s masterful compositional artistry and marking a pivotal beginning in his evolution as a symphonic visionary. Maestro van Zweden has earned critical praise for balancing precision with emotional impact in his Mahler programs during his tenures as Music Director of both the New York Philharmonic and Hong Kong Philharmonic. Throughout this concert, audiences can look forward to being transported through a vast and awe-inspiring musical universe under his masterful direction.

Music lovers are warmly invited to experience“ESO 2025 - Jaap van Zweden & Arsenii Moon” concerts on Friday, June 27th at 7:30 p.m. at the Hsinchu City Performance Hall, and on Saturday, June 28th at 7:30 p.m. at the Keelung Performing Arts Center Performance Hall. Tickets are now available online through OPENTIX. For more information regarding the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra and its concert series, please visit the website for further inquiries.