TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) will open its new season Thursday (Sept. 19) with the youngest winner of the Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition, Japan’s Akiko Suwanai.

The NSO24/25 will begin with a performance of Max Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26” featuring NSO Music Director Jun Markl and Suwanai. In the second half of the concert, Markl will lead the NSO in Gustav Mahler's “Symphony No. 1 in D Major.”

Themes such as "Mahler," "Beethoven," and "Science and Technology" will be explored throughout the season. Johannes Brahms' symphonies, including “No. 1,” “No. 2,” and “No. 3,” as well as his “Schicksalslied” (Song of Destiny) will be highlighted.

Markl explained that Mahler and Bruch are both composers with German-Austrian roots. They share similar timbres but have distinct styles.

Bruch's piece is renowned for its warm and touching tone. Markl praised Suwanai's performance, stating that she plays “the most beautiful version of the concerto.”

Bruch's “Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor” was written in 1866 and debuted with Otto von Konigslow as the soloist. The following year, it was revised by Joseph Joachim, one of the most influential violinists of the 19th century.

Bruch composed three violin concertos during his lifetime. However, his first concerto has consistently overshadowed the others, becoming the defining work associated with his name.

In the second half of the concert, Markl and the NSO will present one of the season's focal themes, Mahler. He uses creative orchestration to portray the awakening of nature in the first movement and cleverly quotes the French folk song "Frere Jacques" in the third movement.

This work embodies Mahler's theatrical style, transitioning from majestic portrayals of nature to deep explorations of human nature. The final movement culminates in a dramatic transition “from hell to heaven.”

Markl expressed his hope that the orchestra's new season begins with the same enthusiasm and joy.