- The duration of the talk is approximately 90 minutes, followed by a curator-led exhibition tour of approximately 30 minutes.
- Please make sure to provide accurate registration information when signing up to facilitate check-in and admission.
- Out of respect for the speaker and to maintain event quality, photography and video recording are strictly prohibited throughout the talk.
- The presenter reserves the right to modify or change the event.
- For further inquiries, please contact: jane.tsai@npac-weiwuying.org.
[Special Talk] Rooted in Taiwan, Embracing the Asia-Pacific - Photos and Manuscripts of HSU Tsang-houei’s Music Career and Creative Philosophy
HSU Tsang-houei (1929-2001), an East Asian composer of the post-WWII era, spent years surveying and collecting music in the field, after which he researched, effectively promoted, and wrote about it. Besides that, he had numerous accomplished pupils. In addition to his musical compositions and manuscripts, he has left us with a large quantity of photos related to these investigations and music promotion. Since he was an advisor to the president in his later years, these documents and photos have been preserved at Academia Historica and converted into digital files as objects of study for those interested in Taiwanese history.
Through select documents and photos from Academia Historica’s archives, this talk offers a look at HSU’s unique journey, including his shift in national identity; his time studying in Europe, where he encountered modern music; and his return to Taiwan, where he invested himself in education, promoted Taiwanese music and international exchange, and advanced the collection and research of folk and traditional music. Moreover, recordings of his flute piece The Blind, Preludes for Violin, Song of Burying Flowers (based on “Ode to the Burial of Flowers” in the literary classic Dream of the Red Chamber,) and cantata Cortège Guerrier (inspired by DU Fu’s poem) will be played so that attendees may better understand his emotional experiences, cultural perspective, and regard for his homeland.
How to register
Eligibility: Everyone who enjoys Taiwan's local music and cultural and artistic activities is welcome!
Registration: Online registration is required, free admission. Limited to 100 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of seats will also be available for on-site registration on the day of the event. We encourage you to register early!
Registration Process: Complete the online registration form to register for the event.
Registration Period: From now until 5:00 p.m. on November 6 (Fri.)
Artists Introduction
Speaker｜LIEN Hsien-sheng (Curator of the HSU Tsang-houei Memorial Exhibition)
Born in Taipei, LIEN Hsien-sheng has studied musicology with HSU Tsang-houei, music theory with LU Yen, music analysis with CHANG Hao, music aesthetic with TAM Ka-git after graduation from the Law School of National Taiwan University. He has also translated Technique de Mon Langage Musical by Olivier MESSIAEN into Chinese and published it in Taiwan. In 1993, he went to France for advanced studies with the scholarship offered by the government of Taiwan. He studied composition with Alain WEBER, Jacques CASTÉRÈDE, Yoshihisa TAÏRA and Michaël LEVINAS in Paris. In the spring of 2005, he received his doctor degree in Musicology at the University of Paris IV – Sorbonne. As a composer, LIEN was awarded the prizes of Creation of Literature and Art by the Ministry of Education, Formosa Composition Competition and HSU Tsang-houei International Music Composition Award. His musicological works include Modernity and Lyricism in the Contemporary Music of Taiwan and East Asia and Musical Taiwan and Contemporary Taiwanese Music. He previously served as the head of the Department of Music at National Pingtung University and, during his tenure as the president of the Taiwan branch of the Asian Composers League, published Inheritance and Creation, From Taiwan to the Asia-Pacific: Oral History Interviews of the Asian Composers League. Currently, he teaches at the Graduate Institute of Ethnomusicology at National Taiwan Normal University, offering courses such as "Studies on Contemporary Taiwanese Musical Works," "Studies on Contemporary Asia-Pacific Musical Works," and "Music Analysis."
Program
2026/12/5(Sat) 14:30
►Tracing the Voice of Taiwan - HSU Tsang-houei 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert
2026/11/06 - 2026/12/06 11:00 - 20:00
[Special Talk] Rooted in Taiwan, Embracing the Asia-Pacific - Photos and Manuscripts of HSU Tsang-houei’s Music Career and Creative Philosophy
HSU Tsang-houei (1929-2001), an East Asian composer of the post-WWII era, spent years surveying and collecting music in the field, after which he researched, effectively promoted, and wrote about it. Besides that, he had numerous accomplished pupils. In addition to his musical compositions and manuscripts, he has left us with a large quantity of photos related to these investigations and music promotion. Since he was an advisor to the president in his later years, these documents and photos have been preserved at Academia Historica and converted into digital files as objects of study for those interested in Taiwanese history.
Through select documents and photos from Academia Historica’s archives, this talk offers a look at HSU’s unique journey, including his shift in national identity; his time studying in Europe, where he encountered modern music; and his return to Taiwan, where he invested himself in education, promoted Taiwanese music and international exchange, and advanced the collection and research of folk and traditional music. Moreover, recordings of his flute piece The Blind, Preludes for Violin, Song of Burying Flowers (based on “Ode to the Burial of Flowers” in the literary classic Dream of the Red Chamber,) and cantata Cortège Guerrier (inspired by DU Fu’s poem) will be played so that attendees may better understand his emotional experiences, cultural perspective, and regard for his homeland.
How to register
Eligibility: Everyone who enjoys Taiwan's local music and cultural and artistic activities is welcome!
Registration: Online registration is required, free admission. Limited to 100 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of seats will also be available for on-site registration on the day of the event. We encourage you to register early!
Registration Process: Complete the online registration form to register for the event.
Registration Period: From now until 5:00 p.m. on November 6 (Fri.)
Artists Introduction
Speaker｜LIEN Hsien-sheng (Curator of the HSU Tsang-houei Memorial Exhibition)
Born in Taipei, LIEN Hsien-sheng has studied musicology with HSU Tsang-houei, music theory with LU Yen, music analysis with CHANG Hao, music aesthetic with TAM Ka-git after graduation from the Law School of National Taiwan University. He has also translated Technique de Mon Langage Musical by Olivier MESSIAEN into Chinese and published it in Taiwan. In 1993, he went to France for advanced studies with the scholarship offered by the government of Taiwan. He studied composition with Alain WEBER, Jacques CASTÉRÈDE, Yoshihisa TAÏRA and Michaël LEVINAS in Paris. In the spring of 2005, he received his doctor degree in Musicology at the University of Paris IV – Sorbonne. As a composer, LIEN was awarded the prizes of Creation of Literature and Art by the Ministry of Education, Formosa Composition Competition and HSU Tsang-houei International Music Composition Award. His musicological works include Modernity and Lyricism in the Contemporary Music of Taiwan and East Asia and Musical Taiwan and Contemporary Taiwanese Music. He previously served as the head of the Department of Music at National Pingtung University and, during his tenure as the president of the Taiwan branch of the Asian Composers League, published Inheritance and Creation, From Taiwan to the Asia-Pacific: Oral History Interviews of the Asian Composers League. Currently, he teaches at the Graduate Institute of Ethnomusicology at National Taiwan Normal University, offering courses such as "Studies on Contemporary Taiwanese Musical Works," "Studies on Contemporary Asia-Pacific Musical Works," and "Music Analysis."
Program
2026/12/5(Sat) 14:30
►Tracing the Voice of Taiwan - HSU Tsang-houei 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert
2026/11/06 - 2026/12/06 11:00 - 20:00
- The duration of the talk is approximately 90 minutes, followed by a curator-led exhibition tour of approximately 30 minutes.
- Please make sure to provide accurate registration information when signing up to facilitate check-in and admission.
- Out of respect for the speaker and to maintain event quality, photography and video recording are strictly prohibited throughout the talk.
- The presenter reserves the right to modify or change the event.
- For further inquiries, please contact: jane.tsai@npac-weiwuying.org.
