TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwanese maestro Chin-Chao Lin (林勤超) debuts as principal conductor of Austria's Karntner Sinfonieorchester Thursday (Oct. 9) in a season-opening concert titled "Klangwege." The prestigious appointment marks a significant milestone in Lin's distinguished international career, featuring Taiwanese composer Tyzen Hsiao's (蕭泰然) "The Angel from Formosa" (福爾摩沙的天使). This performance represents a notable achievement for Taiwan's classical music representation on the European stage.
Lin will transport audiences to Taiwan's distinctive landscapes through "The Angel from Formosa," creating a cultural bridge connecting his homeland with Austrian audiences. As music director of both the Karntner Sinfonieorchester and Stadttheater Klagenfurt, major Austrian cultural institutions, Lin will oversee comprehensive annual opera performances at the prestigious theater. This significant dual appointment officially begins his ambitious new musical journey in 2025.
The concert features Beethoven's "Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36," a piece Lin conducted during his audition for the conducting program at Austria's Kunstuniversität Graz. This meaningful selection marks a significant moment in his international musical career development and personal artistic journey. The second half showcases "Mahler's Symphony No. 4 in G major," which was completed near Lake Wörthersee in Klagenfurt, creating profound local cultural resonance.
Lin was born in 1987 in Taitung, a city on Taiwan's eastern coast, later studying at Austria's Kunstuniversität Graz and Switzerland's Zurich University of the Arts. He held significant positions in several German theaters, serving as principal conductor and deputy music director at Meininger Staatstheater from 2016 to 2018. Lin became music director at Theater Regensburg from 2018 to 2022, before returning to Meininger Staatstheater in 2023. ◼