National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts’ (Weiwuying) Grand Opening

Weiwuying Concert Hall (Photo credit: Iwan Baan)

National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) launches its grand opening to the public on 13 Oct. Featuring 171 momentary choice artists from Taiwan and around the world, Weiwuying Grand Opening Season presents more than 100 performances and workshops of theatre, circus arts, dance, music and interdisciplinary works from 13 Oct to 1 Jan 2019.

The grand opening day will unveil the first vineyard-style Concert Hall in Taiwan with Glittering Sound ─ The Inauguration Concert, presented by exceptional artists from home and abroad. At night, Arts for the People- The Grand Opening is an outdoor party orchestrated by German artistic collective namely phase7 and 171 Taiwanese performing talents. Then on the following evening, the world-known organist, Latvian Iventa Aplalan, will also give a highly anticipated recital in the Concert Hall.

Grand Opening Season Bridging Connection between Taiwan and the World

During the festive season, Weiwuying will host performances by the world’s most talented artists as well as work created specifically for the center’s unique spaces, developed within the local community.

As a national art centre, Weiwuying brings in world-class performances and the first-ever vineyard style Concert Hall in Taiwan which will accommodate world’s top conductors and orchestras. During the season, Berliner Philharmoniker & Gustavo Dudamel, who conducts in Taiwan for the first time and Mariss Jansons & Symphonie Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks will be among the first artists to perform at Weiwuying’s vineyard style Concert Hall. La Fura Dels Baus will bring The Creation, which was originally produced for the grand opening of Elbphilharmonie and La Seine Musicale, will present its Asia premiere in Kaohsiung. Considered to be the most brilliant theatre director, writer and actor, Robert Lepage, will present 887, his widely acclaimed self-directed, composed and performed work exclusively to Weiwuying.

887 (Photo credit: Elabbe)

In the meantime, the festival shines a spotlight on Taiwanese local performing arts through presentations of Taiwanese Opera, Chinese Orchestra, folk drum and so on. Weiwuying’s self-produced work, In Love with Gezaixi, pays tribute to the precious culture assets of Taiwanese opera. The Legend of Parade Formation, is a collaboration between National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan and Chio-Tian Folk Drums & Art Troupe to bring parade formation, which originally takes place in grand temple fairs, to the Playhouse. Furthermore, one of the greatest 20th century’s dancer－Lin Hwai-min, a founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theater, will present a retrospective work Cloud Gate – The 45th Anniversary Gala Programme to feature his choreography development as he expects to retire in 2019.

Importantly, Weiwuying’s first international co-commissioned opera with Lincoln Centre Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and Singapore International Festival of Arts, Paradise Interrupted, will make its debut at Weiwuying after winning widespread praise overseas. Apart from performances, Weiwuying also exerts efforts on extending international collaborative partnership. By the end of September, New York’s Lincoln Center, the Spoleto Festival, Singapore International Festival of Arts, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay Singapore, Aerowaves Spring Forward contemporary dance festival and Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space are confirmed to partner with Weiwuying in different perspectives (programming, theatre-profession training…etc.)

Paradise Interrupted (Photo credit: Julia Lynn)

Other Seasonal Highlights

• Taiwan Dance Platform: 2018 Taiwan Dance Platform sheds light on Made in Asia?!. 14 performances, workshops, film screenings, and talks will take place in Weiwuying’s brand new performing arts complex from 3 to 11 Nov. Dancers, choreographers, and critics from home and internationally will gather at Weiwuying to present a wide-array of exciting activities.
• International Symposium: Under the topic of User experience (UX) & user interface (UI), local community and international leaders of arts centres and festivals will share their experiences and inspirations with regards to how to promote public engagement through facilitating user experience.
• Professional Academy: The academy is themed Marketing and Fundraising and Weiwuying has brought Brett Egan back, who is the President of a well-known arts management company in USA － DeVos Institute of Arts Management. During the two-day workshop, the academy will provide practical knowledge and hands on experience to theatre-relative professions.

Visit National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts – National Performing Arts Center’s website here.