Taipei Philharmonic Choir Joins Taipei Symphony Orchestra for "Choral Ninth" at International Choral Festival

(CNA) - The 2026 Taipei International Choral Festival (TICF) will take place in July, with a major highlight being a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 by the Taipei Philharmonic Choir and Germany's Thuringian Chamber Choir, conducted by Eliahu Inbal with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra.

In 1824, Beethoven, completely deaf, incorporated Schiller's "Ode to Joy" into the final movement of his Symphony No. 9 for the first time, conveying the noble ideal of human unity and freedom. In this work, Beethoven treated chorus and vocal soloists as instruments within the symphony, breaking the framework of purely instrumental symphonies and conveying the ideals of human unity, peace, and freedom.

The concert will be led by TSO Principal Conductor Laureate Eliahu Inbal, featuring soloists soprano Geng Li, mezzo-soprano Weng Ruo-pei, Korean tenor Kim Beom-jin, and bass Tseng Wen-yi. In addition to the Taipei Philharmonic Choir, the Thuringian Chamber Choir from Germany will also perform.

The 2026 Taipei International Choral Festival will also invite representative choirs from countries such as Hungary, Latvia, Slovenia, and Spain to visit Taiwan. The opening will be led by Venezuelan conductor Maria Guinand, featuring the Taiwan premiere of "Cantata Criolla" by Venezuelan composer Antonio Estevez.

Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education Music Director Ku Yu-chung stated that "Cantata Criolla" utilizes many rhythms from Latin American folk songs, is very complex, and the lyrics are in Spanish, "specifically Venezuelan Spanish." Ku Yu-chung also mentioned that the work does not feature traditional harmonies like those of Beethoven or Mozart, and contains many dissonant intervals, posing a significant challenge for the choir.

The closing performance will feature resident conductor Gábor Hollerung leading a lineup of over 300 musicians in Mozart's "Requiem." In 1791, Mozart was commissioned to compose this "Requiem" during the final year of his life as a memorial for the deceased wife of the commissioner. However, he passed away suddenly before the work was completed, making it the final masterpiece of his legendary life.

The 2026 Taipei International Choral Festival will run from July 24 to August 2, with performances held in Taipei, Tainan, and other cities across the country. (Edited by Chang Ya-ching) 1150629

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