Kaohsiung, January 12 (Reporter Liu Dawei) – "Harmony and New Language – 2026 Beijing Chinese Orchestra New Year Concert" will be held at the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from January 10 to 11. This marks the second time the Beijing Chinese Orchestra has brought a folk music performance that blends traditional heritage with contemporary aesthetics to Taiwanese audiences, following their performance in Taiwan in 2025.
On January 10, the "Harmonious Melodies and New Words – 2026 Beijing National Orchestra New Year Concert" was staged at the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center in Kaohsiung. (Photo provided by the organizer)The performance opened with classic works such as "Step by Step Higher," "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon," and "Spring River Flower Moon Night." As the music progressed, Eastern and Western music blended on stage, with the gaohu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) challenging the violin's famous "Csárdás," and the erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) and cello weaving together a rich Xinjiang flavor in "Why Are the Flowers So Red." The final chapter of the concert focused on "cross-border integration," stringing together several popular melodies with "Hearing the National Trend," and incorporating classic film and television scores "The World Will Always Be Good to You" and "Rolling Red Dust," evoking memories for audiences from different eras through familiar tunes.
The performance consisted of two shows, with approximately 2,400 audience members in attendance. Wu Xuhai, director of the Beijing National Orchestra, stated that the concert brought together unfamiliar audience members, allowing them to laugh and applaud in the same space. The artists also expressed their wish to use musical notes as a vessel to carry the sentiments that transcend mountains and rivers, leaving each melody in the hearts of the Taiwanese audience.
As one of the organizers, the Taiwan Chinese Cultural Exchange Association stated that this performance was a dialogue through music, inviting the audience to step into an auditory feast that transcends time and space during the New Year. (End)
