The Ode to Joy in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is the EU’s anthem of peace and unity. The symphony is played in European countries to welcome new years. As we bid farewell to 2021, TaiwanPlus and the National Symphony Orchestra have co-organized for the first time a Beethoven concert conducted by renowned conductor Jun Märkl and performed by the orchestra. The uplifting music is a fitting embodiment of Taiwan’s democratization and its unwavering quest for a freer, just, and progressive society.