Violinist Arabella Steinbacher Arrives in Taiwan for NSO Collaboration

TAIPEI, May 28 (CNA) - Led by Music Director Jun Märkl, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) will perform the Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major with violinist Arabella Steinbacher, showcasing a romantic, vocal-like violin tone. Steinbacher stated at a press conference today that the Brahms concerto is a significant challenge in terms of technique, stamina, and emotion. Märkl noted that it is one of the most beautiful violin concertos, requiring absolute precision and pure tone. Steinbacher will perform using the 1718 Stradivarius "ex Benno Walter," which once belonged to Benno Walter, a close friend of Brahms. Born in 1981, Steinbacher studied under Ana Chumachenco and rose to fame in 2004 as a substitute for Kyung-wha Chung. This concert is the finale of the TSMC Hsinchu Arts Festival. TSMC Education and Culture Foundation CEO Hsu Chun-lang expressed admiration for Steinbacher's philosophy of "grinding life into a musical score." The NSO "Voices of Spring" concert will be held on May 30 at the National Concert Hall in Taipei and on May 31 at the Hsinchu City Cultural Bureau Performing Arts Center. The program also includes Schumann's Symphony No. 1 "Spring."