Taipei Chinese Orchestra

Stride Through 4 Decades to a Spring of Rising Contention.

Since the foundation 40 years ago, TCO never stops exploring the interminable possibilities of Chinese music. We study the popular classic pieces, while examining new music that merges old and new generation; we encourage international masters to concertize their skills, while discovering and introducing young talent to the world.

In the Spring of 2020 TCO welcomes its opening with Summit of East Asian Zithers, a program from “Principal Conductor Selection Series”that kick starts the Taipei Traditional Arts Festival. The event will be joined by eminent zither musicians including Nanae Yoshimura, who plays the Japanese 20 string zither, YI Ji-young who plays the Gayageum, Baasankhuu Chinbat who plays the Yatga, and FAN Wei-Tsu, zither musician from Taiwan. On stage at the same time, the audience get to enjoy them contending with one another, and at times merge as one. The width and depth of the performance has overcome tradition and space, delivering the most beautiful zither music.

Spring time in March is the high time for outings. With young musicians HUANG Li-Teng, HSIAO Yi-Fei and Conductor CHIANG Chen-Hao, the “TCO Family Series” launched Kampung and the City, inviting audience to glide through the urban and rural Singapore; Oman Nisa and The Story of The Crescent Moon Lake speak in front of rich western background; Kada Meilin Symphonic Poemstalks about the heroes in Mongolia, and Ladder To Heaven looks into the mystery of Sanxingdui in Sichuan.

In “the Director Series”, again we are graced by SCO Music Director YEH Tsung and his collaboration with TCO in presenting the National Spirit that showcases folk customs across China from a humanistic point of view. In addition to masters’ pieces, in this concert we especially had composer Simon KONG Su-Leong to customize a bangda flute-based piece Kui Chi Tang for TCO’s principal bamboo flutist LAI Yi-Chun. This will be the world premiere for Kui Chi Tang.

At the end of March, organized by TCO, “Taipei International Conductor Competition” will be held as the world’s only competition that demands the contestants to master both the baton skills for Chinese orchestra and symphony orchestra. The challenge looks to be scheduled in the future as a quadrennial event.

The competition has received registration from 94 young participants in 22 countries, and 20 of the contestants from 10 countries will enter a three-phased formal final , with the jury joined by TSO and TCO’s principal conductor, respectively, Eliahu Inbal and Qu Chunquan, to reveal the stars of the year. The competition is open to every music fan.