Founded in 1918, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra is one of Europe's leading ensembles. With its dramatic intensity and refined nuance, it has maintained a dynamic presence on the international stage. During its visits to Weiwuying in 2019 and 2023, the orchestra left a vivid impression on Taiwanese audiences with its profound interpretations and full-bodied sonority.

In 2026, conductor Lahav SHANI will lead the orchestra's third appearance at the Weiwuying Concert Hall, presenting three distinctive concerts. The repertoire ranges from the Classical and Romantic eras to major works of the 20th century, offering a wide spectrum of styles—from structural rigor and lyrical depth to the dramatic tension of modernism.

The first concert features Gustav MAHLER's Symphony No. 4 in G major, with the fourth movement sung by Taiwanese soprano HSIAO Han, bringing a touch of poetic radiance. The second highlights SHANI's dual artistry as both pianist and conductor in Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH's Piano Concerto No. 2. In the final program, violinist Paul HUANG, who received wide acclaim for his collaboration with the orchestra in 2023, returns to perform Ludwig van BEETHOVEN's Violin Concerto, reuniting with the ensemble to spark new musical brilliance.

Since 2018, SHANI has shaped the Rotterdam Philharmonic's distinctive sound. June 2026 marks the conclusion of his tenure, and these three concerts not only embody the fruits of his years with the orchestra but also allow audiences to witness the concluding movement of this important chapter.

  Pre-talk  

2026/6/12(Fri)19:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

2026/6/13(Sat)19:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

2026/6/14(Sun)13:30 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

  Program  

• 6/12(Fri)19:30
  A. SCHOENBERG: Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4
  G. MAHLER: Symphony No. 4 in G Major
• 6/13(Sat)19:30
  J. WAGENAAR: Overture: Cyrano de Bergerac
  D. SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102
  J. BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73
• 6/14(Sun)14:00
  L. v. BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61
  L. v. BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 Eroica

  Creative and Production Team  

Conductor｜Lahav SHANI

Soprano｜HSIAO Han (6/12)

Piano｜Lahav SHANI (6/13) 

Violin｜Paul HUANG (6/14)

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

  Artists Introduction  

Conductor & Piano｜Lahav SHANI

Lahav SHANI is the Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He assumed his position in September 2018, becoming the youngest Chief Conductor in the orchestra's history. In the 2020/21 season, SHANI succeeded Zubin MEHTA as Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; the Münchner Philharmoniker appointed Lahav SHANI as their new Chief Conductor, starting from September 2026.
Recent and upcoming guest conductor highlights include engagements with Wiener Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhaus Orchester, Münchner Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, London Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and Philharmonia Orchestra.
SHANI was born in Tel Aviv in 1989 and started his piano studies aged six with Hannah SHALGI, continuing with Prof. Arie VARDI at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv. He went on to complete his studies in conducting with Prof. Christian EHWALD and piano with Prof. Fabio BIDINI, both at the School of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. Whilst a student he was mentored by Daniel BARENBOIM. In 2013, he won First Prize in the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg. June 2016 saw Lahav SHANI's debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra as a conductor and as a piano soloist; his appointment as Chief Conductor from 2018 was announced two months later.
As a pianist, SHANI has performed as a soloist with Daniel BARENBOIM, Zubin MEHTA and Gianandrea NOSEDA. He has play-directed piano concerti with many orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Staatskapelle Berlin and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. SHANI also has considerable experience performing chamber music and in recital and is a regular performer at the Verbier Festival, and has also appeared at the Aix-en-Provence Easter and Jerusalem Chamber Music Festivals, and in duo recitals with Martha ARGERICH.

Soprano｜HSIAO Han

HSIAO Han, soprano, received the title of Doctor of Musical Arts under the tutelage of Molly  FILLMORE at the University of North Texas (UNT). HSIAO is a past winner of the South Sea Rotaract Club Award Vocal Competition and a recipient of both the Toulouse Academy Achievement Scholarship and Winspear Opera Scholarship of UNT. 

Currently, she is working as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at National Tsing Hua University, Tunghai University, and Shu-Te University. At the same time, she is one of the directors of the Association of Vocal Arts and a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. 

Violin｜Paul HUANG

Recipient of the 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, violinist Paul HUANG is one of the most distinctive artists of his generation. After his debut recital at the Kennedy Center, The Washington Post remarked that HUANG "possesses a big, luscious tone, spot-on intonation and a technique that ... feels as natural as breathing." His recent and forthcoming appearances include those with Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Mariinsky Orchestra, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Houston Symphony, Hiroshima Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Dallas Symphony, NHK Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Residentie Orkest Den Haag, and his return to the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan. A frequent guest artist at music festivals worldwide, he recently stepped in for Anne-Sophie MUTTER at Bravo! Vail Music Festival and made recital debuts at the Lucerne Festival, Ravinia Festival, and Aspen Music Festival. In 2021, HUANG became the first classical violinist to perform his own arrangement of the US National Anthem for the opening game of the NFL at the Bank of America Stadium. An exclusive recording artist for France's Naïve Records, his third album for the label will be released worldwide in June 2026. HUANG performs on the legendary 1742 "ex-Wieniawski" Guarneri del Gesù on extended loan through the Stradivari Society of Chicago and is on the faculty of Taipei National University of the Arts. He resides in New York.

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1918, is distinguished by its intensely energetic performances, acclaimed recordings, and innovative audience engagement. Over the decades, it has established a firm position among Europe's leading orchestras.
After its pioneering early years, the orchestra developed into one of the foremost ensembles in the Netherlands under Eduard FLIPSE, principal conductor from 1930. In the 1970s and 1980s, under Jean FOURNET, Edo de WAART, and James CONLON, the orchestra gained growing international recognition. The appointment of Valery GERGIEV marked the beginning of a new and flourishing era, later continued by Yannick NÉZET-SÉGUIN and, from 2018, Lahav SHANI.
The orchestra's home is De Doelen Concert Hall, yet it performs frequently in other venues—from local stages to major international concert halls in Europe and beyond. Since 2010, the Rotterdam Philharmonic has been a resident orchestra of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. With its regular concerts, educational performances, and community projects, the orchestra reaches an annual audience of 150,000 to 200,000, including a significant number of young listeners.
Since the pioneering MAHLER recordings with Eduard FLIPSE in the 1950s, the Rotterdam Philharmonic has released numerous critically acclaimed recordings with labels such as Warner Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Philips and BIS Records. Its performances are available online through concert streams on medici.tv, as well as video projects such as From us, for you: Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (2020), which became international news after reaching millions of viewers worldwide within just a few weeks of its release.
 

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