South Florida Symphony to Perform Mendelssohn and Beethoven Featuring Tao Lin

Dark and stormy seas give way to sun-soaked skies during South Florida Symphony Orchestra's (SFSO) 28th season of “Juxtapositions” closer at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale (707 NE 8th Street). Led by award-winning music director Maestra Sebrina María Alfonso, SFSO presents Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture “Fingal's Cave” which conjures the misty and mystic beauty of Scotland's famed Isle of Staffa, and his Symphony No. 4, nicknamed the “Italian,” recalling the country's natural beauty, radiating warmth and energy. Rounding out the program is Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, a rich and nuanced affair, featuring acclaimed pianist Tao Lin. Enjoy a pre-concert chat with Dr. Alan Mason 30 minutes before the performance, featuring in-depth conversation and insights about the works and composers.

"To borrow from Italy's famous saying, ‘la dolce vita' - life is sweetest when shared,” said Maestra Alfonso. “Our ‘Juxtapositions' finale beautifully captures that spirit: the sunny cheerfulness of Mendelssohn's ‘Italian' Symphony and the luminous reflection of Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto are made all the sweeter by the audiences who bring them to life. These contrasting journeys - one vibrant, the other introspective - remind us that music is a conversation, and its true magic happens in the shared moments between performers and listeners."

The awe-inducing rugged beauty of Fingal's Cave, a sea cavern on the Isle of Staffa known for its natural acoustics, is the inspiration behind Mendelssohn's stirring Hebrides Overture. Here, Mendelssohn deftly crafts a stunning portrait of Scotland's crashing waves and misty and mysterious coastline, setting an early example of a tone poem (a standalone work that evokes a mood or sets a scene) in the process.

Nature strikes again in Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4, nicknamed the “Italian.” Influenced by the brilliant blue skies of Italy, this sunny work bristles with energy and warmth. Its finale, a Saltarello – a lively Italian folk dance – is said to be inspired by the composer's own Roman carnival adventures, where he was even “pelted with sugar candies.” 

A solitary piano draws you into Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto and turns tradition on its head. Frequent SFSO guest pianist Tao Lin performs this revolutionary work that replaces bravado with vulnerability through a delicate dialogue between piano and orchestra that swells into grand passages of triumph and vitality.

Described by critics as possessing “keen musical intelligence and excellent facility” (Miami Herald), “joyful virtuosity and stylish musicianship” (Gramophone magazine), as well as “opulent and romantic tone” (Fanfare), Chinese American concert pianist and Steinway artist Tao Lin has performed in Asia, North America, and Europe with orchestras including Moscow Chamber, Winnipeg Symphony, Atlantic Classical, and Knoxville Civic. As a recitalist, he has appeared at Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, Rockefeller University, Chautauqua Institute, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Minnesota Orchestra Hall, Izumi Hall (Osaka, Japan), and Edvard Grieg Museum in Norway. He has also appeared in concerts with Aspen Trio, Miami, Bergonzi, Alcon, Ying, Shanghai, and Rosalyra String Quartets, as well as distinguished musicians. A frequent pianist and lecturer at the Music Festival of the Hamptons, Mainly Mozart Festival, Music Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Arts Rolla Festival, Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival, and Festival Miami, Lin is currently an artist faculty member at the Bowdoin International Music Festival and is a visiting professor at Shanghai Normal University School of Music. A prolific recording artist, Lin can be heard on Naxos, Artek, Centaur, Romeo, Poinciana, and Piano Lovers labels, his recording of the complete music for Violin and Piano by Franz Schubert (with Violinist Tomas Cotik) was awarded Recording of the Year by MusicWeb International.

SFSO's 28th season of “Juxtapositions” has explored beauty in contrasts, where the bold and the sublime intersect, and timeless masterpieces share the stage with today's most compelling and celebrated musical voices.