Taipei Chinese Orchestra

COVID -19 has finally released its deadly grip in Taiwan in the autumn of 2021. The performing arts industry is once again welcoming audiences back into the theater without further restrictions. As the year is coming to an end, TCO is scheduled to introduce more than 30 performances in November and December in the hope of lightening and soothing the wearied hearts living under the overhanging threat and menace of the contagious virus for so long with the beauty of music.

The programs lined up include large-scale outdoor exhibitions. Covid -19 dealt the performing community a heavy blow. To provide Chinese orchestras without performing or rehearsing opportunities a platform to communicate and network, TCO decided to host Party Up on November 13th and 14th so that no fellow musicians were left behind in times of stress. They also organized the Square Arts Festival at Central Art Park in Taipei in early December and the Family Carnival at the 228 Peace Memorial Park from 25th to 26th later the same month. People will get a chance to get out of their houses, reconnect with each other and gather the courage to move forward as a community again.

In December, the Principal Conductor Series features Bang, Beat, Blast, Boom! As Fast as the Wind Blows! ─ an exhilarating encounter between the East and the West percussion worlds. WU Pei-Ching, a founding member of Ju Percussion Group wows the audience with her exceptional six-mallet technique. Together with Hsieh Tsung-Hsin, the principal percussionist of TCO who excels in both Yangqin and Chinese percussion instruments, they will knock your socks off!

Peerless Fashion ─ An Evening of Legendary Divas of the Brilliance Series at Taipei Music Center will dazzle the audiences with the magnificent performance of divas and aspiring musicians of Peking opera, Taiwanese opera and folk songs. They plan to show the audience with their masterful interpretation of classics like Red Chamber Dream, Looking for the Peach Garden, and Moon Zither. As the first Chinese orchestra to perform at Taiwan Music Center, TCO aspires to put on an extraordinary hybrid performance that incorporates many different art forms and touches the hearts of people young and old. It is our most sincere wish that young people will learn to love going to theaters and art centers together with their family and truly get a chance to appreciate the beauty of pop music from different time eras.

As important as onstage performances are, there is no denying the critical role of music education in daily lives. The brand-new“Chinese Music Studies” by TCO is the very first column dedicated to the reviews on Chinese music. In the future, TCO will invite more professionals to write short essays or reviews on Chinese music in anticipation to nurture a healthy academic environment for discussions and insights on productions, performances, analysis and researches for the art form. This will definitely add to the richness of the ecosystem of Chinese music in Taiwan.

This issue,“The Moment” features an interview on LIN Yue-Li, esteemed Chinese music artist in southern and central Taiwan. She has dedicated a great amount of her time to the children at the China Youth Corps Chinese Orchestra. Ever since the publication of CHEN Jianting’s interview in issue 79, we saw an opportunity to map out the development of Chinese orchestra through the stories told by these giants in the field. As they are all valuable first hand material on the history of Chinese music in Taiwan.

At the same time,TCO sets in motion the 2022 Musician’s Journey to Inspiration. Arrangers and composers interested in folk and ethnic music travel to the birthplace of a specific culture where they endeavor to explore and exploit the essence of local culture and life style. At the end of their stay, they will put on a performance for the local people, thereby deepening the connection between music and society.

The past year has been a turbulent year for the people in Taiwan. Now that the pandemic is under control, TCO invites all of you to join us on the path to recovery and move forward to a better future full of possibilities.

01 The Route to Innovation : New Ties, New Prospects, New Future

02 Cover Story : Healthy Competition Is Key to Relationship Bliss "An Exclusive Interview of LANG Tsu-Yun, Producer of Peerless Fashion : An Evening of Legendary Divas"

03 A Journey Into Music : Archiving The Era — The Chinese Music Publications in 2021