A world-leading orchestra, led by Sir Simon Rattle in two masterpieces of Romantic symphonic grandeur.

Following their acclaimed and widely celebrated tour of Taiwan in 2024, Sir Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra return to the National Taichung Theater with two symphonic masterpieces contemplating life, memory, and the passage of time.

The program features Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 in A minor, a late Romantic masterpiece shaped by the composer’s profound longing for his homeland after exile. Refined in musical language yet expansive in emotional scope, the work reveals the grandeur and poetic sensibility of late Romanticism at its height. Alongside it is Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major, “The Great,” whose monumental scale prompted Schumann to describe it as possessing a “heavenly length.” Its sweeping lyricism and majestic orchestral architecture offer an ideal canvas for the BRSO’s unrivaled command of the Austro-German symphonic tradition.

Since its founding in 1949, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra has risen to become one of the world’s leading orchestras, shaped by the artistic legacies of distinguished chief conductors including Eugen Jochum, Rafael Kubelík, Sir Colin Davies, Lorin Maazel, and Mariss Jansons. In Bachtrack’s 2023 ranking of the world’s finest orchestras, the BRSO was placed third globally, and is widely regarded as a leading authority in the Austro-German Romantic repertoire as well as contemporary music.

Celebrated internationally for its silken string textures and its exquisitely nuanced wind playing, the orchestra has long been admired for the exceptional beauty and refinement of its sound. Since the 2023/24 season, the legendary Sir Simon Rattle has served as chief conductor, ushering in a renewed sense of vitality and artistic vision for the orchestra.

Rachmaninov: Symphonie No. 3 Op. 44, A minor

Schubert: Symphonie No. 9, D. 944, C major, Die Große

Conductor ／ Sir Simon Rattle
With his captivating charisma, deep enthusiasm, great love of experimentation and meticulous artistic seriousness, it is no surprise Simon Rattle is one of the most fascinating conductors of our time. He was Chief Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, and has been Chief Conductor of the BR Chorus and the BRSO since the 2023/2024 season. Simon Rattle has received numerous prestigious honors, including the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. Several of his CDs released with the BRSO have received awards.

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1949, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, BRSO) is now ranked among the world’s leading orchestras. Sir Simon Rattle has been the BRSO’s Chief Conductor since 2023. In addition to performing its core repertoire and contemporary music, the orchestra places a strong emphasis on music education and the promotion of young musicians. The orchestra tours regularly throughout Europe, Asia and North and South America. It has received numerous awards for its extensive recording activities, including a Grammy, the Diapason d’Or, and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.