Tracing the Voice of Taiwan - HSU Tsang-houei 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the passing of composer HSU Tsang-houei (1929–2001)—the pioneer of modern music in Taiwan and initiator of the Folk Music Collection Movement—this concert features his most representative large-scale masterpieces. The program includes: the choral work Song of the Burial of Flowers , which blends Buddhist chant with classical Chinese literature; the piano concerto Spring for All , which integrates the structural elements of Tang Dynasty Daqǔ with traditional Taiwanese Beiguan tunes and variation forms; the Chinese Festival Overture, reimagining the Qing Dynasty wind and percussion music The Splendid Universe through a modern orchestral lens; the dance drama music Peach Blossoms, based on Taiwanese Hakka folk songs; and the cantata Cortège Guerrier —an anti-war epic whose blueprint remained sealed for thirty years before its premiere in 1995. The concert begins with the prologue percussion music from the opera The Tale of the White Snake , a work the composer had been conceiving and creating for many years. It opens for the audience a musical feast that combines local Taiwanese culture with East Asian classical traditions, showcasing diverse themes and performance styles, and imbued with profound cultural resonance and historical depth. ( Text by LIEN Hsien-sheng )