2022 Kinmen Tunnel Music Festival is about to enter its 14th year. This year it will feature six performances on October 15 and 16, and tickets for the event will go on sale at 2pm on Friday, August 19. With a fee of only NT$200 per person, this is an unmissable event for music lovers who wish to experience a sublime subterranean concerto.
This year, Kinmen Tunnel Music Festival has invited Peking opera master Chu Lu-hao, mezzo-soprano Weng Jo-pei, pipa (Chinese lute) player Chen Yu-jung. Accompanying chamber music comes from artistic director and cellist Chang Chen-chieh, performing with violin virtuosos Su Shien-ta and Hsu Shu-ting, and principal viola of the National Symphony Orchestra Huang Rui-yi.
The most exciting act first day’s program is Peking opera master Chu Lu-hao performing “The Song of Gaixia” from the opera “Farewell My Concubine”. His sorrowful use of traditional Chinese opera vocals to sing the Hegemon-King’s last verse captures beautifully the helplessness and defeat of the grieved king. With the specially arranged string quartet accompaniment opposite the Peking opera percussion, the strings are used to portray the inner world of the Hegemon-king.
The second day’s program features pipa player Chen Yu-jung performing the well-known song “Ambush from Ten Sides”. She uses the pipa to recreate the powerful sounds war: the drum, the bugle, the thunder of galloping horses and the clash of colliding swords can all be heard in her music. The entire piece consists of one brilliant climax after another, employing a skillful fusion of Chinese and Western sounds to create an entirely new style of performance.
Kinmen National Park HQ advises that due to the unusual nature of the Zhaishan Tunnel as a venue, to ensure the safety of our audience and the quality of the performance, each show is limited to 200 spectators. Also, please note that entry to the venue is via a large number of steps, so the elderly or those with mobility issues will need to consider whether they can access the event safely. To buy tickets for this year’s event please register on the “OPENTIX National Theater and Concert Hall ticket selling system”. All ages over 7 years old are welcome, but children between 7 and 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
This year’s festival will feature 6 performances in total on October 15 and 16. Three performances will take place on each day: 10:00 to 10:40; 11:30 to 12:10; and 14:00 to 14:40. Tickets will be on sale from 14:00 on Friday, August 19 until 17:00 on Friday, October 7. Tickets are available at https://www.opentix.life/event/1545244116913610752. Those purchasing tickets online, please register beforehand as a member on the OPENTIX ticket selling system; those wishing to buy tickets in person at any National Theater and Concert Hall ticket office, please search online for ticket office details nationwide, or call 02-33939888 to inquire.
If you have any questions about the event, please contact our productions department during working hours: Mr. Tsai from the education team can be reached on 082-313185; for related information please go to the Kinmen National Park website (kmnp.gov.tw) or check our Facebook page.