Category Archives: News

Phantasy in Tokyo

My Phantasy for oboe and English horn will get its 14th performance at 1pm on August 18, 2015. It will be performed in the “ADRA The Wind from Asia” concert of IDRS (International Double Reed Society) 2015 Conference. The venus is Small Hall in the Arts Building of National Olympus Memorial Youth Center (3-1 Yoyogi Kamizono-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0052, Japan). Thank Oboe Duo Agosto (Ling-Fei Kang and Charles Huang) for bringing this piece to Tokyo and thank Prof. Rong-Yi Liu to make this performance possible. I really appreciate and I am very much looking forward to it!!

IDRS 2015

我爲雙簧管與英國管譜寫的《幻想曲》在2015年8月18日下午1點將要迎向他14次的演出，這首曲子將會於2015年國際雙簧協會研討會的「亞洲雙簧協會亞洲風」音樂會中演出。音樂會地點在國立奧林匹克紀念青少年總合中心（東京都渋谷区代々木神園町3-1）的文化棟小演奏廳。謝謝 Oboe Duo Agosto 帶著這個曲子到日本東京，也謝謝劉榮義老師讓這個曲子有演出的機會。非常謝謝你們，我也很期待這次在日本東京的演出。

Phantasy in Taiwan

I am very thrilled that after 12 performances in the United States and Thailand my Phantasy for oboe and English horn will get its 13th performance on June 7, and at this time it will be the first time to be performed in my home country, Taiwan. I use a Taiwanese aboriginal (Atayal) tune in this piece, and at this time it will be back to the familiar place, which this original tune is sang and heard.

Thank Oboe Duo Agosto for bringing this piece to their concert in Taiwan. The concert will be at 3pm on June 7, and the venue is Bratsche Arts Center in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Admission free!!! Oboe Duo Agosto will also give a masterclass before the concert at 1pm on the same day and in the same venue. Please come to the concert for the 13th performance of my Phantasy, and support the very wonderful Oboe Duo Agosto. Thank you very much!

Oboe Duo Agosto 1Oboe Duo Agosto 2

Continue reading →

Allison Balcetis Taiwan Tour Concerts

I am honored that Allison Balcetis, the saxophone professor of University of Alberta, will bring my The Voice of Children for solo baritone saxophone for her Taiwan tour concerts. These three concerts will feature the saxophone works, especially those are written by Taiwanese composers and inspired by the eastern music, in the artist exchange with the Taiwanese saxophonist Po-Yuan Ku. Except concerts, Allison Balcetis will also give two masterclasses in Taichung and Tainan. More information in details as followed:

Allison Balcetis – Taiwan Artistic Exchange with Po-Yuan Ku
7:30pm, May 26 – Concert at KHS ProShop in Taipei
2pm, May 28 – Masterclass at Music Department of National Tainan University (D205)
6:30pm, May 28 – Concert at Concert Hall of Tainan University of Technology (S502)
1pm, May 29 – Masterclass at Music Department of Tainan University of Technology (T104)
7:30pm, May 29 – Concert at Concert Hall of National Taichung University of Education

Program
Feng-Hsu Lee: The Voice of Children
Chien-Nien Chen: Jasmine Flower
André Ribeiro: Linha de sombra
Christian Lauba: Adria
and two improvisations based on the Chinese traditional Nan-Yin and Nan-Guan music

All the concerts and masterclasses are admission free!!! If you are near the area and have free time, please come to the concerts for supporting Allison Balcetis, Po-Yuan Ku, and me. Thank you very much!

Allison Balcetis

Continue reading →

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

I will go to New York City tomorrow and attend a concert at 1pm on March 8. It is a composer’s voice concert featuring the program “Fifteen Minutes of Fame” performed by violinist Tzu-En Lee. “Fifteen Minutes of Fame” is a score call that composers should write a piece no longer than one minute for the particular theme, and Vox Novus, the organization holding this event, chooses fifteen composers’ pieces to combine as a set of the program. Tzu-En Lee requests a theme of Taiwanese folk songs for a one-minute solo violin piece. Luckily, my one-minute violin piece written specifically or this event, Rainy Night of Flowers, was selected to be included in the program, and will be premiered at Jan Hus Church in New York City, 1pm on March 8. Admission Free!

By the way, my Ballade for violin and percussion will be performed in Yu-Chun Kuo’s DMA percussion lecture recital at CCM, University of Cincinnanti, 8:30pm on March 24. I am looking forward to this two events of mine in March.

Composer's Voice Concert

Continue reading →

In Iceland and Taiwan…

Although the blizzard “Juno” will impact the northeast side of America tomorrow (January 27), there will be four concerts performing my pieces in Iceland and Taiwan this week. I am thrilled that my latest piece, Four Miniatures for Oboe and Clarinet, will have its Iceland tour this week. It will be a debut of my piece in Iceland as well as a part of concerts of Foot in the Door Contemporary Ensemble of the Hartt School. The Iceland tour of my piece is including three concerts, Mengi at Reykjavík on 9pm January 28, Gullkistan at Laugaravatn on 12pm January 30, and Sunnlenska Bókakaffið at Selfoss on 5:30pm January 30. Thank oboist Ling-Chun Yeh and clarinetist Alexander Kollias for bringing this piece to Iceland.

On 6pm January 31, Taipei Century Choir and conductor Li-Fen Chen will perform my piece, The Flight Log for Mixed Chorus and Piano, again at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. Free Admission! If you have free time, please come to the concerts for supporting the musicians, singers and me. Thank you very much!

FITD & TCC

Continue reading →

32nd Asian Composers League Festival and Conference

I will set off to Japan tomorrow (October 31) for participating in the 32nd Asian Composers League Festival and Conference (ACL Festival). The first part of the 32nd ACL Festival will take place in Yokohama from November 1st to 4th, and the second part will take place in Tokyo from November 5th to 7th. My piece, Unbearable Pain and Watery Eyes for violin, percussion and piano, will be performed in the Sakura Hall of Shibuya Cultural Center Owada in the second chamber music concert of ACL Festival at 2pm on November 5th. It will be the second performance of this piece; in the meantime, it will be a Japan debut of my piece. I am very much looking forward to it.

By the way, my On the Island for high voice and piano will be performed in Academia Sinica (Taipei, Taiwan) at 2pm on November 1. Admission Free! If you have free time, please support me for these two events no matter you are in Tokyo or Taipei. Thank you!

Asian Composers League

Continue reading →

Taipei Century Choir Concerts

The Flight Log for Mixed Chorus and Piano will reprise twice in Taiwan, one is in Changhua on September 21 and another one is in National Concert Hall in Taipei on October 1. I am excited that finally Taipei Century Choir will perform this piece which was commissioned by them, and especially thank the conductor Li-Fen Chen for making these two performances possible. In the meantime, Taipei Century Choir will premiere a new work of Hui-Ni Chang, Rain, Dew, Frost and Snow, in the same concerts. The Flight Log will be the last piece in the concerts and this is a piece using three different flying objects, stars, a kite and wings, to describe three different stories of chasing a dream. Please be there for supporting Taipei Century Choir and me, and you will fly with my words, my notes and the power of live concerts. Thank you.

2:30pm, September 21 28, 2014 at Yuanlin Performance Hall, Changhua, Taiwan
7:30pm, October 1, 2014 at National Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei Century Choir Concert
Li-Fen Chen conducts Taipei Century Choir
I-Ta Wang, piano
Ticket: Taipei Century Choir Concert
[Update (9/20)] The concert on September 21 has postponed to September 28 due to the typhoon “Fung-Wong”.

Taipei Century Choir Poster
 Continue reading →

Phantasy Reprise!

Phantasy for oboe and English horn will get its 12th performance tonight. It is also the first performance of this piece in 2014. Please come tonight and support me and Oboe Duo Agosto  (Charles Huang and Ling-Fei Kang). Admission is free. Thank you!

Time: 6pm (March 20)
Venue: Centinel Hill Auditorium (11F), Capital Community College (950 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103)
ccc-poster

Continue reading →

TNC Taiwanese Choral Works Concert

I was back to Taiwan for the winter break on December 7, and I am glad that I am able to come back earlier before the end of the fall semester to listen to the premiere performance of my choral piece The Flight Log for mixed chorus and piano. I composed this piece in 2005 (eight years ago), and finally it will get the premiere opportunity on December 11, 2013. Thank the conductor Li-Fen Chen to make the premiere performance possible. Thank Taiwan National Choir and the conductor Chun-Chiang Chiu for willing to learn this piece and perform it in National Recital Hall. It makes me feel grateful that such a dusty piece in my bookshelf is going to reborn and become a real sound to the world; in the meanwhile, I am checking the oneself I have been before and grabbing the precious memories through my music. I am looking forward to it!

7:30pm, December 11, 2013
TNC Taiwanese Choral Works
National Recital Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
Chun-Chiang Chiu conducts Taiwan National Choir
Shih-Hsing Lin, piano
Flight Log Cover
ArtsTicket.com: TNC Taiwanese Choral Works

Continue reading →

Tides in February

My new piece, Tidal Movements for double bass quartet, will present twice this February. On both two Sundays (Feb. 17 and 24) and both at 5pm, tides will go to two different places. First, tides will go to Louisiana State University as programming in the Louisiana Bass Fest Concert. It is my pleasure that Eastman School of Music bass faculty James VanDemark and  LSU School of Music bass faculty Yung-Chiao Wei will perform this piece. Second, tides again will go to the Hartt School. After attending one rehearsal of this piece at Hartt, I am glad to know that the Hartt School bass faculty Robert Black, who gave me an opportunity to make this piece born into the world, will involve performing this piece in the Hartt Bass Band concert as well. I am so excited and looking forward to both of two concerts. For more information, please visit the “Performances” page.

FINAL UPDATE!!! The Hartt Bass Band concert will be at 8pm on March 10. It is on Sunday at Room F163 of the Hartt School. (March 6)

UPDATE!!! The Hartt Bass Band concert has been postponed due to that the Prof. Black has a serious accident recently. More information about this concert will be announced later. Hope Prof. Black can have a good rest and recover soon. (February 17)

Continue reading →