World-Renowned Maestros and Emerging Composers Converge to Create the Ultimate Performance at the Taipei Chinese Orchestra
As time swiftly passes, the 2023/24 music season is quickly drawing to a close. As we emerge from the pandemic's shadow, this season has been marked by a vibrant and international flair. The Taipei Chinese Orchestra (TCO) has collaborated with renowned international maestros, exhibiting diverse and captivating musical styles. In April, the TCO International Composition Competition, formerly the Taipei Chinese Instrumental Competition, attracted global submissions, featuring young composers' boundless passion and creativity for Chinese Music. In this issue of The Silk Road, we unveil the behind-the-scenes stories of the competition.
In his article, "2024 TCO International Composition Competition Concludes with Enhanced Creativity and Expert Insights," YEN Tsai-Teng presents an in-depth exploration of the competition, providing insights from the perspectives of both composers and award-winners. The article discusses selection criteria and offers general guidance. It features interviews with several ju dges who also encourage and constructively give feedback to composers who were not selected for awards. The article underscores how the judges' recognition and high expectations align with the competition's aim to foster greater engagement in Chinese Music composition and revitalize the modern Chinese Music scene.
Another feature, "A Single Competition, Three Aesthetics, Infinite Aspirations for Chinese Music: Interviews with 2024 TCO International Composition Competition Winners LIU De-Yi, YE Xiaoyang, and CHO Chi-Jou," delves into the personal and educational journeys of the 3 winners, discussing their unique creative processes and visions for the future. Their varied backgrounds have influenced distinctive compositional styles, illuminating the potential of these emerging composers. Recently, TCO has warmly embraced a trio of new talents. In her article "A New Era of Talent Ushers in a Fresh Chapter for TCO," LIU Ma-Li profiles three young musicians—SIAO Yi-Fei, CHEN Ting-Yu, and WANG Tzu-Chi. She explores their musical journeys and the fresh aspirations they bring to the orchestra, heralding a new era of artistic collaboration within TC O.
In another insightful piece, "The Versatile TCO──The Birth and Impact of Contemporary Chinese Music Crossovers," KUO Pei-Ching offers a retrospective analysis of TCO's interdisciplinary engagements, which significantly shaped Taiwan's vibrant Chinese Music landscape.
Confucius famously stated, "To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools." In line with this wisdom, LEE Chiao-Yu's article, "The Crafting and Maintenance of Erhus," provides an in-depth look at the art of crafting and the daily care required for the erhu. This guide introduces readers to the materials and techniques used in creating this Chinese stringed instrument and details how to maintain and preserve it. Additionally, WAN Chih-Yi's article, "Teacher WANG Rui-Yu and His Contributions to Chinese Music," revisits WANG Rui-Yu's influential role in Chinese Music during the 1960s and 1970s. It also highlights his continued efforts to promote the genre, thereby nurturing a sustainable and thriving musical landscape for musicians in Taiwan.
For the 2023/24 season, TCO centered its theme around "Extreme Music," partnering with world-renowned maestros and performance groups to deliver exceptional Chinese Music and captivating traditional art performances. Was there a particular show that struck a chord with you? As we reflect on the season and look to the future, what thrilling new offerings can we expect fr om TCO in the 2024/25 season? Let's keep our eyes peeled for what's coming next!
2024 TCO International Composition Competition Concludes with Enhanced Creativity and Expert Insights
Text / YEN Tsai-Teng
Image / Taipei Chinese Orchestra
The esteemed "Taipei Chinese Instrumental Competition," rebranded in 2024 as the "TCO International Composition Competition," held its semifinals and finals on April 22 and 26. This global contest drew 6 innovative composers to vie for top hono rs. Ultimately, LIU De-Yi triumphed, capturing first place with his composition Birds of Paradise . YE Xiaoyang's Theatrical Deity claimed second, while CHO Chi-Jou's Night Road secured third place and earned the TCO Members' Special Award and the Most Popular Award.
Senior composer and competition judge LAI De-He highlighted that Chinese Music has transformed into "Modern Chinese Music" through nearly a century of adopting Western symphonic elements. He emphasized that the competition is crucial for infusing new energy into this evolving genre, given its diversity in performance techniques, presentation forms, and content.
Vincent HO, WANG Chenwei.
Beyond "Traditional": Establishing New Standards for Chinese Music Works
The "TCO International Composition Competition" champions innovative compositions in Chinese Music. It invites entries for large ensemble works lasting between 10 and 15 minutes without thematic or stylistic restrictions. This encourages participants to emphasize originality, personal expression, and technical skills over traditional Chinese Music styles.
This year's panel of 7 judges brought diverse backgrounds and shared a common scoring philosophy, prioritizing a deep understanding of Chinese orchestral and instrumental techniques. CHAN Joshua noted the importance of exploiting each Chinese instrument's unique traits, while WANG Chenwei exemplified that the same complex chord "might sound dramatic in a Western orchestra but would sound cluttered and sharp in a Chinese Orchestra." In other words, an excellent (Western) composer may not necessarily be a good Chinese Music composer. Creators must continuously delve into the language of Chinese Music to tailor their works to Chinese Orchestras.
On the other hand, PAN Hwang-Long, Vincent HO, and others emphasized "individual originality" or "personal voice" as crucial criteria. Vincent HO stated, "How does a composer express their ideas through a Chinese Orchestra? Do they have a unique voice that creates a convincing musical world? Such aspects are my most important consideration." Additionally, several judges mentioned factors such as "listenability," "forward-looking style," and "imagination," highlighting the many facets creators must balance to stand out in the competition. Conversely, this also means no standard for excellent work exists
特邀廖元鈺指揮北市國演繹「TCO 國際作曲大賽」比賽作品
Special guest conductor LIAO Yuan-Yu leads the TCO in performing compositions from the
Diverse Styles Impress Judges
The competition showcased a remarkable variety of styles and high technical proficiency. PAN Hwang-Long observed a significant advancement in creativity, technique, and diversity compared to the inaugural competition in 2016. The entries varied from nearly traditional to those influenced by modern movements such as Impressionism and Expressionism, and even Hollywood film music, presenting a rich array of creative expressions.
The 3 winning works of this competition particularly highlighted the aforementioned diverse aesthetics, technical execution, and personal thinking. The first prize was awarded to LIU De-Yi for his piece Birds of Paradise . LIU, currently a third-year student in the Chinese Music Department of the National Taiwan University of Arts, drew inspiration from modern poetry, using Chinese poet Dai Wangshu's poem of the same name to depict the ruined paradise, the birds' journey, and their moods. CHAN Joshua praised his "excellent melody writing and pitch control, with good orchestration and ensemble atmosphere," while PAN Hwang-Long appreciated his "vivid depiction of various birds in paradise, somewhat referencing the 'expansive' expressionist style."
Second-place winner YE Xiaoyang is a Chinese composer studying Chinese Music composition at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. His award-winning piece, Theatrical Deity , is based on the "Jiali Play" (puppet show) popular in Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Xiamen, and Taiwan. He boldly used the heterophony technique of traditional folk music, a rare sound and technique that deeply impressed the judges. WANG Chenwei explained that modern Chinese Music compositions generally adopt Western art music frameworks, while folk music frameworks still have much room for exploration. Therefore, Theatrical Deity responds to the grand question of "what form should Chinese Music ensembles take." PAN Hwang-Long and CHAN Joshua both believed that although some sections of the piece were somewhat mechanical and there is room for growth in originality and foresight, it effectively explored the sound possibilities of the Chinese Orchestra's instrumental groups.
Third-place winner CHO Chi-Jou is a full-time music creator, with her work spanning Chinese Music, film scores, theater, and animation music, making her the most diverse of the three winners. Her winning piece, Night Road , emulates Hollywood film music style and depicts eerie and surreal scenes with a strong narrative and cinematic atmosphere. PAN Hwang-Long believed that the piece, written with Western orchestral techniques, was smooth and natural, also suitable for the commercial market. CHAN Joshua praised Night Road for its excellent taste in harmony, making it the most listenable work in the competition.
TCO International Composition Competition
Competition Results Are Temporary: The Path of Creation Is Endless
Besides the winning works, other shortlisted pieces also had their strengths, with several specifically highlighted by the judges. For example, CHEN Kuan-Kai's Theaters and Teahouses combined traditional and innovative effects, with WANG Chenwei recognizing its expression of ethnic atmosphere within an atonal texture, cleverly using special instruments like the whistle, xun, and bangu. CHAN Joshua also appreciated its utilization of Chinese percussion instruments. Additionally, CHAN Joshua mentioned CHIANG Chun's 990921 Chelongpu , praising the piece for its good grasp of modern techniques. While acknowledging the participants, the judges also offered comprehensive suggestions for this year's competition. According to PAN Hwang-Long's analysis, the works this year shared several common traits: (1) errors in instrument range and notation, incorrect application of Western orchestral syntax; (2) reliance on changing time signatures as a "stabilizer" for modernizing Chinese Music; (3) compositions limited to "scenic" descriptions, with "emotional" and "spiritual" works being rare. Furthermore, CHAN Joshua specifically mentioned the "engraving" issue: "Most 'participants' did not consider the user's perspective when engraving, excessively widening the staff distance to insert notation symbols, making the score extremely hard to read even when magnified." These compositional or writing errors need continuous learning and self-correction in practice.
While competition results are temporary, the path of creation and learning is a lifelong journey for emerging composers. Vincent HO suggested that young composers should be exposed to more musical styles, traditions, and aesthetics, especially using the convenience of the internet to discover more sound and music possibilities. WANG Chenwei and PAN Hwang-Long also encouraged those who did not win, stating that sometimes overly avant-garde or unappealing works may not win, as competition results are just the outcome of certain judges' tastes and scoring methods. WANG Chenwei said, "Time is the true test of a work, and participants still have time to continue developing. Keep pushing forward!"
評審何啟榮於決賽後講解賽事
Judge Vincent HO discussing the competition during the finals.
Chief Judge's Vision: Regular Competitions to Build Orchestra Brand
As to the competition itself, Chief Judge PAN Hwang-Long advocated for regular and periodic competition hosting to attract more composers and enhance audience appreciation. He emphasized that such events not only discover new talent but also build the hosting orchestra's brand and deepen audience loyalty, contributing significantly to the cultural richness of Chinese Music. It is hoped that the "TCO International Composition Competition" will continue to be held, becoming a regular feast in the field of Chinese Music composition and a stable platform for emerging talent. The history of Chinese Music will continue to unfold with new chapters.
In 1987, the TCO performed with a hundred-person choir at the National Concert Hall's inaugural concert, titled “Melodies of the Yellow Bell: A New Chapter.”
1 參見 Grove Music Online 。擷取日期 :2024 年 04 月 20 。網址: http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/ 。
2 高千珊, 2014 ,頁 9 。
3 陳慧珊, 2016 ,頁 4
In 1984, CHEN Cheng-Hsiung took over as the leader of the TCO 北市國成立之初,以弘揚中國傳統音樂與推展社會樂教責任為主要,並舉辦各種類型的音樂會展演,也進行研究與推廣 工作。 4 1979 年委請當時臺北市立交響樂團團長陳墩初兼任國樂團團長一職; 1984 年 6 月由陳澄雄接任團長兼指揮。 5 陳澄 雄團長帶領北市國 7 年期間,對樂團進行大膽變革與創新,除了鼓勵創作新曲、引進其他國家的優秀作曲家曲目外,並在 展演上有跨界的合作型態。首先在 1984 年臺北市藝術季與民族舞劇《七夕雨》的演出,開創國樂團第一次與民族舞劇不 同表演型態的合作, 6 隔年 1985 臺北市藝術季演出主題為「從傳統到現代」,其中「大提琴與中國樂器」協奏曲,為北市 國有了與西方樂器的詮釋對話,開創中西樂器的交流。 7 1990 年赴德以國樂樂器演奏貝多芬樂曲,打響西樂中奏的第一 炮。
2023.4.8「搖擺國樂」音樂會中,由 TCO 琵琶演奏家鄭聞欣與行草 Grass Walkers 聯手帶來《大正紅居酒屋》 TCO pipa artist CHENG Wen-Hsin and Grass Walkers perform The Taisho Red Izakaya at the 'Pulsation of the Swing Music' concert on April 8, 2023.
The Birth and Impact of Contemporary Chinese Music Crossovers
Text / GUO Pei-Qing
Image / Taipei Chinese Orchestra
Preface
Taipei Chinese Orchestra (TCO) was founded on September 1 st, 1979. The orchestra was the first professional Chinese orchestra established by the government of Taiwan and has been the pioneer of modern Chinese music on the island for 45 years. The concept of crossover can be traced back to the TCO program proposed for the Taipei Art Festival as early as 1984. It was an attempt made to release Chinese music from the limitation of traditional instrumental music. The success laid the foundation for a series of crossover projects afterwards. Starting from 2007, crossover became the core of TCO’s music creations, which consequently brought Chinese music to the world stage. The new and innovative aesthetics of contemporary Chinese music drove the development and prosperity of the entire Chinese music ecology in Taiwan, fueling the potential of this genre. This article follows the trajectory of TCO’s crossover performances and explores their impacts as a way of looking into the future of Chinese music in the contemporary era under the guidance of TCO.
The Pioneer of Crossovers
Globalization and diversification are highly valued in the modern world, and performing arts is no exception to this formida ble trend. Artists no longer focus on only a single source of creative material but constantly integrating multiple elements from several different fields into one work with adaptive approaches. The dialogue, deconstruction, and fusion crucial to Crossover has become mainstream in performing arts.
Grove Music Online states that Crossover is” …a term used mainly in the music industry to refer to a recording or an artist who has moved across from one Chart to another. “ 1 The first crossover happened in the pop music industry when a black American made the white pop music charts. Later the term was used to refer to albums crossing over from one speciality chart to another. 2 As time goes by, the meaning of crossover evolved, going from describing hit albums making different charts to signifying the fusion, interchange, and transformation of music forms. This fueled the industry with great diversity and ingenious ideas in music creations. Scholar CHEN Hui-Shan believes that “crossover has been a major trend in performing arts since the 80’s. Today the prevalent art form is still a predominant force to be reckoned with. Crossover happens in the academia, the government, and the industry as an invaluable link of performing arts in the contemporary society. Contemporary music is becoming more and more specialized and expert oriented. The interest in diversified or cross-culture creations multiplied. It seems that crossover has grown into a common trend across the globe.” 3 In short, crossover is without a doubt a mainstream choice and quite unstoppable when it comes to performing arts and music.
1 Grove Music Online. Retrieval date: April 20, 2024, <http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/>
TCO pipa artist CHENG Wen-Hsin and Grass Walkers perform The Taisho Red Izakaya at the 'Pulsation of the Swing Music' concert on April 8, 2023.
The vison of TCO was to promote classic Chinese music and further music education in communities upon establishment. The orchestra held various types of concerts and showcases as well as conducted research and promotional work. 4 In 1979, CHEN Dun-Chu, director of Taipei Symphony Orchestra was commissioned to take on the position as the director of TCO concurrently. CHEN Tscheng-Hsiung took over the leadership in June 1984 as director and conductor. 5 During the seven-year leadership, director CHEN Tscheng-Hsiung was not afraid to make bold changes and implemented many innovative measures. In addition to encouraging the composition of new songs and introducing the repertoire of outstanding composers from other countries, he also initiated crossover collaborations in showcases. The first one being the Traditional Dance Drama Eternal Love across the Magpie , debuted in 1984 at the Taipei Art Festival. This was an ice breaking attempt at a whole new performing arts form that incorporated Chinese music and folk dance. 6 The following year, the theme of the 1985 Taipei Art Festival was revealed to be From Classic to Modern. The program featured Cello and Chinese Instruments Concerto, a dialogue between TCO and Western instruments with new interpretations. This was the first musical exchange between Chinese and Western instruments in Taiwan’s music history. 7 In 1990, TCO performed Beethoven with traditional Chinese musical instruments in Germany. For the very first time, Western music was performed with Chinese musical instruments. 8 During his tenure, director CHEN Tscheng-Hsiung married traditional Chinese music with large-scale musicals, Chinese operas, and classical literature, embracing diversity in TCO performances. At that time, the term crossover was still strange to the music circle. This forward and innovative thinking allowed TCO to improve the performance skills of the musicians through Western musicology and training methods. Chinese music earned a place alongside western music through these crossover works incorporating Chinese music and other performing arts forms. The success laid the cornerstone of the crossover trend and turned a new chapter in contemporary Chinese music.
Create New Aesthetics of Chinese Music
Post 1949, the development of Chinese music in Taiwan began to follow the example of European symphony orchestras. Chinese orchestras were established, combining instruments from different families to form a large instrumental ensemble. The core of music creations back then was to adhere to tradition. Techniques used such as harmony and orchestration were borrowed from Western music. In 2007, CHUNG Yiu-Kwong became the director of TCO. He set up two major development goals for the orchestra: Crossover and collaboration with virtuosi from other countries. The aim was to use Chinese music as the new Silk Road to connect with the global music world, free Taiwan from the restrictions of geographic boundaries when it comes to music and broaden the horizon of Chinese music with melodies from other countries. As a composer, director CHUNG believed that redefining Chinese music was essential to the exposure of this music genre. To be recognized on a global scale, Chinese music
5 Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Retrieval date: April 20, 2024, <http://www.tco.taipei.gov.tw/>
6 TCO Music, August 28, 1985, Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Taipei.
7 TCO Music, November 8, 1985, Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Taipei.
8 TCO Music, June 25, 1990, Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Taipei.
2023 年由首席指揮張宇安帶領臺北市立國樂團舉辦一場音樂大派對「搖擺國樂」音樂會
In 2023, Principal Conductor CHANG Yu-An led the TCO in a grand music party concert “Pulsation of the Swing Music.”
should not be narrowly defined as the national music of the Chinese culture. As a matter of fact, it should the viewed as the national music of all countries in the world. Rather than simply westernizing traditional Chinese music or adopting Western thinking in the development of this music form, the new Chinese music should be universal and embrace all racial or cultural elements. 9 During his eight years in office, he wrote a large number of songs for TCO. The most important achievement was that he facilitated the collaboration between TCO and world renown virtuosi through his works including Whirling Dance for flute and Chinese orchestra, Mongolian Fantasy for flute and Chinese orchestra, and Concerto for Percussion and Chinese Orchestra TCO also took part in the creation of Beijing opera Meng Xiaodong together with GuoGuang Opera Company, making yet another first in music crossovers. At this stage, with Chinese music as core, the genre incorporated the essence of both Eastern and Western cultures. Western folk music gave Chinese music new life and charm. This cross-culture and cross-domain phenomenon was the answer to TCO’s bold act of redefining Chinese music. Chinese music belongs no longer to one single country, but to all cultures and countries in the world, as it is tolerant and full of potential and possibilities. The new Chinese music aest hetics transformed traditional Chinese music, created new values and generated new prospects. This far more diversified version of traditional Chinese music in the contemporary era had a profound impact on the development of Chinese music in the future.
Diverse and Brilliant Influences
As the first professional Chinese orchestra established by the public sector, TCO’s dominance and authority in the healthy deve lopment of Taiwan’s Chinese music industry is self-evident. TCO spearheaded cross-disciplinary collaborations in 1984 and started exploring crossover collaborations in 2007. The orchestra opened doors for all the other Chinese music orchestras, cons equently changing the music ecology in Taiwan. Today, in addition to TCO, other professional Chinese orchestras on the island include National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan, Kaohsiung Chinese Orchestra, Tainan City Traditional Orchestra, and Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra. Taking a snapshot of the Chinese music world, synchronic studies indicated that given a particular period, music forms drew on the eternal and universal elements taken from each other to flourish and grow. TCO, as the leader of professional Chinese orchestras, infused richness and diversity into Chinese music, giving this genre new context. Diachronically
9 PAR Performing Arts Magazine, June 2007, p. 55, Retrieval date: April 20, 2024. <https://doi.org/10.29527/PAR.200706.0026>
In 2023, the TCO held a grand music party, “Pulsation of the Swing Music,” blending traditional opera, jazz, Latin, DISCO, and J-Pop to showcase the diversity of Chinese Music.
speaking, Chinese music gravitated towards innovative crossover from pure classic as time goes by. This growing mainstream choice has significantly affected the development of all other professional Chinese orchestras. Currently, TCO’s crossover project encompasses many types of arts. The orchestra also actively takes part in cross-cultural performances with other countries. Drama, opera, circus, pop music, and jazz are all prominent domains TCO showed abundant intertest in. In addition to crossover performances by professional Chinese orchestras, amateur Chinese orchestras also embrace the idea of crossover with enthusiasm. This shows TCO’s vision and authority in synchronic music learning and the diachronic development of Chinese music. Little by little, the orchestra brought diversity into the contemporary Chinese music world in Taiwan.
Conclusion
Swiss musicologist Ernst KURTH once said, "All innovative art forms must have a robust foundation of creativity and independent thinking. Every single art form has the desire to merge and integrate with other arts. The vibrance and energy constantly overflows, regardless of frames or restrictions. This dynamic state allows it to impact other seemly strange or unfamiliar arti stic elements that actually belong to the same category. " 10 TCO has been making breakthroughs and innovations since day one. Drawing on the merits of Western music to create orchestral Chinese music and infuse new life into traditional culture was step one. New performing types subsequently further enriched the artistic expression of this traditional music genre. However, as t he society quickly changes and transforms, more options opened up. The promotion of Chinese culture was no longer the sole aim when performing in showcases or concerts. More and more effort was put into breaking away from the traditional and set cultural context, redefining Chinese music, create new interpretations and form innovative expressions by building new Chinese music esthetics on the old foundation. TCO is the beacon of Taiwan’s Chinese music world. Its decisions will undoubtedly have a great influence on the development of contemporary Chinese music. While other Chinese orchestras in the world still hold onto traditional Chinese music, Taiwan is already a step ahead, reaching out to the music world around the globe with an open mind and unrestrained energy.
We wish that TCO, the pioneer of Taiwan’s Chinese music world, will lead Chinese music forward and keep it young and alive whilst extending its influence beyond the boundaries. So that Chinese music will, as it evolves and grows, create a contemporar y context with new esthetics. This way, Taiwan’s Chinese music shall dazzle and shine on the world stage.
10 Kurt, page 39, translated by WANG Yuan-Fang, 1993.
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