Evergreen Symphony Orchestra will present 'Jaap van Zweden, Alexei Volodin & ESO ' on November 7 and 9, performing at the National Concert Hall and Weiwuying Concert Hall respectively. The concerts will feature two iconic masterpieces born during times of war. This marks the first collaboration between the orchestra's renowned Artist-in-Residence Jaap van Zweden and Russian pianist Alexei Volodin, as they perform Beethoven's magnificent 'Emperor' Piano Concerto. Also on the program is Prokofiev's freedom-celebrating Symphony No. 5, musically guiding audiences from chaos toward clarity and prosperity.

The concert opens with Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, a piece filled with brilliant virtuosity and majestic grandeur, earning it the nickname 'Emperor' Concerto. Beethoven completed this work in 1809 during Napoleon's occupation of Vienna. Critics have described the entire work as embodying the atmosphere of 'battlefield, attack, dawn after darkness, victory of light,' highlighting how Beethoven's brilliant compositional technique reveals his hope for a radiant future.

Volodin, a student of legendary piano pedagogue Eliso Virsaladze, stands among today's leading pianists on the international stage. His exceptional technical mastery and emotionally compelling musical expression promise to capture the heroic character of this concerto and convey its dramatic emotional journey.

In the second half, van Zweden will lead the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra in a 20th-century neoclassical masterpiece—Prokofiev's Symphony No.5 in B-flat major, Opus 100. Its bold and innovative musical language reflects upon a century of Romantic development and serves as resistance against the Soviet political environment. This 'new voice' emerging from the end of World War II not only expresses longing for peace but also celebrates the brilliance of human nature. In the composer’s own words, this is 'a symphony about the greatness of the human spirit.'

The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, through the energy of music, hopes to share meaningful moments with its audiences as they experience 'Jaap van Zweden, Alexei Volodin & ESO' on November 7 (Friday) at 7:30 PM at the National Concert Hall, and November 9 (Sunday) at 2:30 PM at Kaohsiung's Weiwuying Concert Hall. We cordially invite you to share and enjoy the power of music with us! For ticketing information, please visit the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra's official website or the OPENTIX ticketing system.