Taipei, April 29, 2026.        The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is pleased to announce the appointment of violinist William Wei as Concertmaster, effective May 2026. Wei will serve in rotation with concertmaster Ting-shuo Chang, who assumed the concertmaster post earlier this year, and together they will share this position of leadership. ESO continues its commitment to bringing exceptional young musicians into its artistic leadership positions.

A laureate of the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition, William Wei holds degrees from The Juilliard School and the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin, where he studied under Kolja Blacher, former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic. His performance career has taken him to major international stages including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, and the Gasteig in Munich.

Wei has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras worldwide, collaborating with conductors such as Eliahu Inbal, Marin Alsop, and Edward Gardner. Germany’s Westdeutsche Zeitung hailed him as “a rare virtuosic yet uniquely sensitive interpreter,” while the Boston Musical Intelligencer praised him for “old master sensibilities with glorious tone across every register and dynamic … he launched torrents of million-dollar tone with sly delicacy.” Beyond the stage, Wei’s 2024 album Earthing continues his dedication to social outreach for mental health awareness.

Upon his appointment as ESO Concertmaster, Wei expressed great enthusiasm and expectation. “The ESO is undergoing significant changes, possessing not only a strong ambition and international vision but also a deep passion rooted in Taiwan,” he stated. “I hope to use this position as concertmaster to bring back to Taiwan the experiences I have accumulated in Europe and the United States, exploring and creating a deeper sense of cohesion together with my colleagues.” He further emphasized that this is a pivotal moment to showcase the professional prowess and unique warmth of Taiwanese musicians to the world. Regarding his collaboration with Artist-in-Residence Jaap van Zweden, Wei playfully likened it to baseball: “How to receive every pitch that Maestro van Zweden throws — that’s what makes it so exciting. That kind of spontaneous musical exchange is something every concertmaster looks forward to.”

The ESO remains dedicated to raising its international profile and will embark on an overseas tour later this year to Singapore and Japan — showcasing the orchestra's artistic excellence and the depth of Taiwan's cultural identity.