National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra brings musical heritage to Malaysian audience
IT was a glittering and melodic encounter between Taiwan and Malaysia when the former’s longest-established professional symphony orchestra made its first-ever appearance in this country with an unforgettable performance at the resplendent Petronas Philharmonic Hall.
For classical music lovers, this was a rare opportunity to experience an exceptional international concert by the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO), which brought the richness and vitality of Taiwan’s orchestral tradition to a new audience.
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The production also offered a meeting of musical cultures with a programme that spanned evocative Taiwanese composition and the sweeping romanticism of the Western repertoire.
The evening showcased the NTSO ensemble’s versatility and expressive depth, while marking a milestone in strengthening musical ties between the regions across the South China Sea.
Presented as Listening to Taiwan–NTSO 2026 Asia Tour Concert, the Kuala Lumpur performance brought together leading musicians from Taiwan and Malaysia for an evening that combined Taiwanese musical artistry and timeless classical works.
The concert was led by internationally acclaimed Taiwanese conductor Tung-Chieh Chuang and featured Malaysian pianist Vincent Ong. The collaboration was part of NTSO’s 2026 Asian tour, bringing the orchestra to Malaysia and Singapore under the theme “Listening to Taiwan”.
The staging of the project was coordinated by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia.
The show opened with Ching-Shan Chang’s Echoes of Eight Decades, commissioned by NTSO for its 80th anniversary. The work incorporates beloved Taiwanese folk melodies, reimagining familiar musical memories through a contemporary symphonic language.
The performance on Oct 12 brought out the emotional breadth inherent in the work.
Orchestral sound became a vehicle for reflection, moving between moments of introspection and passages of greater dramatic energy.
The NTSO’s collective musicianship was central to the work’s impact. The coordination of the ensemble and balance among instrumental sections allowed different layers of the music to emerge with clarity.
There was subtlety and there was grandeur, both important in a composition whose title suggests not merely the passage of time, but also the persistence of echoes long after their original sounds have faded.
Indeed, orchestral performance becomes more than the presentation of a score; it becomes an act of remembrance.
A key feature that the local audience awaited was the performance of Penang-born maestro Ong, who made history in 2025 by becoming the first Malaysian pianist to reach the finals of the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, at which he was awarded the fifth prize.
He duly dazzled, performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 while surrounded by collosal waves of sounds from the NTSO musicians under the wand of Chuang.
Ong brought youthful flair and technical assurance, with evident lyrical sensitivity to bring out the work’s graceful melodies and romantic introspection. He captured Chopin’s dance-like rhythms with buoyancy and confidence.
Supported by the orchestra’s sensitive accompaniment, his performance celebrated the concerto’s blend of youthful exuberance and heartfelt lyricism, leaving a memorable impression of musical elegance and expressive maturity.
At one stage, Chuang and Ong both played the piano together, bringing together two distinguished musical talents from Taiwan and Malaysia within the august Petronas Philharmonic Hall.
As a conductor, Chuang has been active on the international classical music scene, with performances spanning Europe, Asia and beyond. Known for his keen musical intuition, refined control and attention to both structure and detail, he is known for bringing a distinctive and highly expressive interpretation to the orchestras he leads.
He won First Prize at the Malko International Conducting Competition in Copenhagen in 2015, marking an important milestone in his international conducting career.
The evening also heard Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, written when the composer was just 20 and preparing to leave Poland, reflecting both youthful aspirations and his deep attachment to his homeland.
The orchestra delivered a graceful and emotionally engaging performance, providing sensitive and well-balanced accompaniment, while allowing the piano’s lyrical melodies and virtuosic passages to shine.
From poetic intimacy to lively energy, the performance moved with youthful exuberance, elegance, and romantic expression. Overall, it was a captivating musical experience that showcased the beauty of Chopin’s writing and the orchestra’s expressive artistry.
Tyzen Hsiao’s The Angel from Formosa offered a warm and lyrical portrait of Taiwan and its people, while Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 — his final major orchestral work — reflected themes of exile, memory, faith and longing for home.
The Taiwanese musicians brought out the Hsiao’s lyrical beauty and emotional depth with a sense of their island’s identity. The expressive playing captured the blend of tenderness and grandeur, creating a compelling soundscape to celebrate Taiwan’s cultural spirit.
Overall, it was a stirring and memorable performance that showcased both musical sensitivity and Hsiao’s distinctive compositional voice.
Rachmaninoff was more challenging with its distinctive blend of rhythmic vitality, dark lyricism and nostalgic grandeur. The orchestra navigated the shifting moods, balancing the sweeping melodies of the strings with the brilliant colours of the woodwinds and the incisive power of the brass and percussion.
The dance rhythms were taut and energetic, while the more introspective passages revealed a haunting emotional depth. The performance brought out the work’s fascinating tension between the composer’s Russian heritage and his later-life modernism, culminating in a thrilling, emphatic finale.
Together, the four works created a musical journey across time and place, connecting Taiwan’s cultural memory with some of the most enduring works of the classical repertoire.
Founded in 1945, the NTSO has played an important role in the development and promotion of orchestral music in Taiwan, while increasingly expanding its international presence through performances and cultural exchanges across Europe, the Americas and Asia.