Taipei, July 24, 2026.      This October, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra presents 'Jaap van Zweden & ESO,' led by its Artist-in-Residence, conductor Jaap van Zweden. The program pairs Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, 'From the New World,' Op. 95, B. 178 with Dmitri Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op. 110a. Following its successful Asian tour this summer, ESO looks forward to autumn performances in Taipei.

The autumn concert opens with the strings alone in Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony, an arrangement by Rudolf Barshai of the composer's String Quartet No. 8. Written in 1960, after Shostakovich had lived through war and political repression, it is one of his most personal works. He threaded the musical letters of his own name into a motif that recurs throughout—a signature hidden in the score, repeating like the words I was here.

After intermission, the full orchestra takes the stage for Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, 'From the New World,' completed in 1893 during the composer's years in America. Throughout the score, his deeply felt homesickness for his native Bohemia is woven with melodies inspired by African American spirituals and Indigenous music. The English horn solo of the second movement is among the most recognizable melodies in the repertoire—a tune heard in countless films and commercials. This original haunting melody by Dvořák later became famously adapted by a student of his  into the spiritual-style song 'Goin' Home.'

The two works being performed sit in deliberate contrast: Shostakovich turning inward, Dvořák reaching toward a new land. 'Jaap van Zweden & ESO' will be performed on October 9 at the National Concert Hall and on October 11 at the Taipei Performing Arts Center. For ticket information, please visit the Official ESO website or OPENTIX.