Kolja Blacher returns to Taipei to conduct the NSO and to perform the solo role in Brahms’s Violin Concerto – all on the same concert. The German-born Blacher has led a truly remarkable and diverse career, beginning with his debut performance with the Deutsche Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin at the age of 17. In more recent years, he has attracted attention for his “Play-Direct” concerts, in which he leads the orchestra from his seat as concertmaster. Blacher’s program with the NSO is well-designed for just such a role. Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge is a work of great flair and craftsmanship composed by a young man of 23. Brahms’s Violin Concerto is often ranked with Beethoven’s as one of the two greatest ever written for this instrument. And Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony is second to none in its displays of broad lyricism, rhythmic energy, and startling contrasts.