TSO Artistic Director Pey-Yu Kuo explained that the film and the recording were conceived both as a gift to mark Inbal’s 90th birthday and as an important historical record for the orchestra. Through the documentary, the orchestra demonstrates how its collaboration with Eliahu Inbal, spanning more than a decade, has shaped the TSO’s artistic identity and achievements. Footage of rehearsals and their joint tour of Japan offers the audience an insight into the maestro’s life beyond the concert stage and into his artistic interaction with the orchestra. Director Clio Chi explains that the ‘Inbal sound’ goes beyond technique: it embodies a spiritual quest to resonate with the composer, the orchestra, the audience, and even the universe.
The TSO’s first vinyl record, released at the same time, documents a live performance conducted by Eliahu Inbal in 2025 at the Tongyeong Concert Hall in South Korea. Kuo pointed out that Inbal’s career spans the eras of vinyl records, CDs and digital streaming. He witnessed the development of music recording and made significant artistic contributions throughout its history – his Mahler recordings (German Record Prize, Grand Prix du Disque) and the original versions of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies, which he was the first to record with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, are considered nothing short of legendary. Guests at the presentation were invited to listen to the first movement of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony on vinyl, allowing them to experience the musical subtleties and the energy of the live recording, which is now also available on the major streaming platforms.
Eliahu Inbal emphasised that a great conductor needs a great orchestra, and that he and the TSO will therefore continue to work together to offer the audience the very best sound. He will be performing at the National Concert Hall in Taipei in October and November, with three concerts as part of the orchestra’s ‘Maestro Series’.
Taipei Symphony Orchestra
