The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO) will kick off its 2025 overseas tour with three concerts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from July 18 to 20. This marks the first international tour led by Jaap van Zweden since his appointment as the orchestra’s Artist-in-Residence. Further international engagements across Asia, Europe, and the Americas are currently being planned for 2026 and beyond.

The upcoming Malaysia tour will feature a special concert series titled “Jaap van Zweden & ESO: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5,” to be held at the prestigious Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (DFP). The three performances include a VIP night on July 18 sponsored by Evergreen Marine Corporation and EVA Air, a charity concert on July 19 for local social welfare groups, and a ticketed public concert on July 20 for Malaysian classical music lovers.

The program spans masterworks from the German and Austrian Romantic and Classical periods and includes a rare collaboration with soloists on flute and harp. The concert opens with Felix Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides (“Fingal’s Cave”), a tone poem praised for its vivid nautical imagery. Mendelssohn, often hailed as a premier musical landscape/seascape painter, uses strings and bassoons to evoke the rhythmic pulse of ocean waves, leading the audience into an otherworldly coastal soundscape.

This is followed by Mozart’s Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C major, K. 299, a radiant celebration of life and joy. To bring this seldom-performed double concerto to life, the ESO has invited Malaysian flutist Yew-Kia Koh and Taiwanese harpist Menglu Chiu to perform as featured soloists. Koh, a founding member and former principal flutist of the ESO, reunites with the orchestra in a gesture symbolizing the strong cultural ties between Malaysia and Taiwan.

The final highlight of the evening is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, also known as the “Fate Symphony.” From its dramatic opening to the triumphant finale, the work embodies Beethoven’s indomitable spirit and artistic resilience. Known for his masterful interpretations of Beethoven, Brahms, and Mahler, van Zweden brings depth and precision to this monumental piece.

Taiwanese audiences will have the opportunity to preview the program before the tour. Two concerts are scheduled domestically: July 11 (Friday) at Weiwuying Concert Hall in Kaohsiung and July 12 (Saturday) at the Pingtung County Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available through the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra’s official website and the OPENTIX ticketing platform.