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The development of Taiwanese choral music in the twenty-first century

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The development of Taiwanese choral music in the twenty-first century

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Content THE DEVELOPMENT OF TAIWANESE CHORAL MUSIC
IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
by
Yen-Hsiang Nieh
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
(CHORAL MUSIC)
May 2023
Copyright 2023 Yen-Hsiang Nieh
ii
Acknowledgements

I want to offer my deep appreciation to my dissertation committee, the chair
Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe, Dr. Cristian Grases, and Dr. Tram Sparks, as well as the
choral music and Thornton Music School faculty, Dr. Nick Strimple, Mary Scheibe,
Dr. Larry Livingston, Dr. Kenneth Foster, and my English teacher Anastassia
Tzoytzoyrakos, for their support and guidance throughout my doctoral studies and
gave me a wonderful graduate experience during the past six years. Special thanks
to Dr. Scheibe, who encouraged and brought me to this USC journey when we first
met in Busan in 2013, for his patience, kindness, and professional instruction. I also
would like to acknowledge my mentor from Taiwan, Su Julian Ching-Chun, my first
choral conducting teacher, who always inspires me and gives me strength.
I am fortunate to have and enjoy friendships in Taiwan and Los Angeles.
Many thanks to my colleague from USC, Dr. Micah Bland, for helping me with my
studies and spending so much time editing this dissertation, and Dr. Andrew
Schultz, for his support and assistance. I sincerely appreciate Wu Dong-Ying, Lee
Yao-Chou, and Lin Chun-Lung for supporting me financially when I started this
journey. In addition, many thanks to my cousin, Jennifer Chiang, who always takes
care of me and makes me feel safe staying alone in Los Angeles.
Finally, this dissertation is dedicated to my beloved parents, Nieh Yao-Chin
and Yeh Hsiu-Chiung, and my younger sister, Nieh Kuei-Ching. I cannot complete
this dream without your support, and hopefully, you will feel proud of my
achievement.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................... ii
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... v
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ vi
Chapter 1: TAIWANESE MUSICAL DEVELOPMENT BEFORE THE START OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ............................................................................................ 1
1. Brief Overview and History of Taiwan ............................................................... 1
2. Taiwanese Indigenous People ............................................................................... 5
3. Overall Musical Development ................................................................................ 8
4. Music of the Taiwanese Indigenous Groups .................................................... 9
5. Choral Music Development Before the Twenty-First Century .............. 16
5a. Before World War II ......................................................................................... 16
5b. 1945–1960 Period ............................................................................................ 19
5c. 1960–1975 Period ............................................................................................ 20
5d. 1975–1990 Period ............................................................................................ 22
5e. 1990–2000 Period ............................................................................................ 23

Chapter 2: CHORAL MUSIC IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND SOCIETY ...................... 26
1. Music Education System ........................................................................................ 26
1a. Gifted Students Music Courses .................................................................... 26
1b. Institutions for Teacher Training ............................................................... 28
1c. Institutions for Non-Education Music Majors ....................................... 30
2. Choral Music in the Schools ................................................................................. 32
2a. Music Majors ....................................................................................................... 32
2b. Non-Music Majors ............................................................................................. 35
2c. University Level .................................................................................................. 39
2d. Recent Trends in Educational Institutions ............................................ 41
3. Choral Music in Community ................................................................................. 44

Chapter 3: “TAIWAN TOP” GRANT AND PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS .......................... 47
1. Introduction of the Taiwan Top Annual Grant Program ......................... 47
2. Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education ................ 48
3. TMC Culture and Arts Foundation .................................................................... 51
4. Taipei Chamber Singers ......................................................................................... 54
5. Formosa Singers ........................................................................................................ 57
6. Müller Chamber Choir ............................................................................................ 59

Chapter 4: DISSEMINATION OF TAIWANESE CHORAL MUSIC .......................................... 61
1. Choral Festivals and Events in Taiwan ........................................................... 61
1a. Taipei International Choral Festival ......................................................... 61
1b. Cheer Formosa International Choral Festival ....................................... 65
1c. International Male Voices Festival ............................................................. 67
iv
1d. Taiwan Ensemble Competition/ Taiwan International
Contemporary A Cappella Festival ............................................................ 68
1e. Taipei International Choral Competition ................................................ 69
2. Taiwanese Choirs Abroad ..................................................................................... 71
2a. Choir Olympics (World Choir Games) ...................................................... 72
2b. World Symposium on Choral Music (WSCM) ....................................... 73
2c. American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Conference ......... 76
3. Taiwan Choral Organization ................................................................................ 78
3a. New Choral Foundation and Taiwan Choral Music Center
(TCMC).................................................................................................................... 78
3b. Taiwan Choral Association ........................................................................... 79
3c. Chorus Taiwan .................................................................................................... 81
4. Sheet Music Industry ............................................................................................... 83

Chapter 5: SIGNIFICANT TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY TAIWANESE CHORAL
COMPOSERS AND ARRANGERS ................................................................................ 86
1. Chien Nan-Chang (b. 1948) .................................................................................. 86
2. Chou Jenny H. (b. 1965) ......................................................................................... 88
3. Shih Ching-Ju (b. 1967) .......................................................................................... 89
4. Tsai Yu-Shan (b. 1968) …....................................................................................... 91
5. Lin Yu-Ling (b. 1970) .............................................................................................. 92
6. Chang Shu-Han (b. 1971) ...................................................................................... 93
7. Chao Ching-Wen (b. 1973) ................................................................................... 94
8. Liu Shen-Hsien (b. 1973) ...................................................................................... 96
9. Lin Ching-Mei (b. 1980) …..................................................................................... 97
10. Huang Chun-Da (b. 1986) …............................................................................... 98

Chapter 6: CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 100
Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................... 104
Appendices ............................................................................................................................................. 110
Appendix A: Selected List of Choral Works by Composers and Arrangers in
Chapter 5 ............................................................................................................ 110
Appendix B: Transcriptions of Interviews ..................................................................... 119
Ku Yu-Chung John ........................................................................................... 119
Lin Chun-Lung .................................................................................................. 124
Pan Yu-Wen ....................................................................................................... 128
Su Julian Ching-Chun ..................................................................................... 132
Weng Chia-Fen ................................................................................................. 135
Yang I-Chen ....................................................................................................... 138
v
List of Tables

Table 1.1 Takatomo Kurosawa’s Classifications of Taiwanese Aboriginal Music
Singing Styles .................................................................................................................. 12
Table 1.2 Tsang-Houei Hsu's Taiwanese Aboriginal Vocal Style Categories …….. 13
Table 1.3 Aboriginal Polyphonic Group-singing Categories by Loh I-To …………..... 14
Table 2.1 The Number of Schools for Courses for Gifted Musicians in Taiwan ….. 27
Table 2.2 National Student Music Competition Ensemble Categories …………….… 36
Table 2.3 Department of Radio and Television Choice Work in National
Cheng-Chi Universities Culture Cup Departments Choral
Competition …………………………………………………………………………………… 40
Table 2.4 Participating Choirs in the National Student Music Competition in
Taipei City from 2001 to 2022 ……......................................................................... 43
Table 2.5 Registered Community Choirs and Choral Institutions under the
Ministry of the Interior and the City/County's Cultural Affairs
Bureau ………………………………………………………………………………………....... 45
Table 3.1 Chronological Development of TAIWAN TOP Grant ……………………..…… 48
Table 3.2 The Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education
Golden Melody Album Awards ................................................................................ 51
Table 3.3 Taipei Male Choir’s Albums Awarded the Golden Melody Award ……… 53
Table 3.4 Taipei Chamber Singer’s Albums Awarded the Golden Melody
Award ................................................................................................................................. 56
Table 3.5 Formosa Singers’ Albums Awarded the Golden Melody Award ………… 58
Table 4.1 World Choral Championship Alliance .................................................................. 72
Table 4.2 Taiwanese Participation in the World Symposium on Choral Music
(WSCM) ….......................................................................................................................... 75
Table 4.3 Taiwanese Choral Ensemble Participation in the ACDA Conference ….. 77
Table 5.1 Chien Nan-Chang’s Golden Melody, Best Composer Awards ……………... 88
Table 5.2 Tsai Yu-Shan’s Arrangements Published Internationally ……………….…. 92

vi
Abstract

This research examines and documents the development and growth of
choral music in Taiwan from the twenty-first century to the present. Taiwanese
choral music development has rapidly flourished, in part, due to the expanding use
of the internet. Through this growth, Taiwan has become a significant choral music
force in Asia. Evidence of this can be observed in the recent establishment of
numerous choral organizations, festivals, and competitions. Additionally, there has
been a massive increase in the number of notable works published by Taiwanese
composers. Very few resources in English document these substantial
developments, and only two dissertations from 1994 and 2007 address Taiwan’s
choral history. To preserve the history of Taiwanese choral music in the twenty-first
century, dissertation utilizes a research methodology that includes personal
interviews with expert Taiwanese choral professors, conductors, and publishers and
a literature review of primary sources written in Chinese.
Chapter one discusses Taiwan’s historical and musical development before
the start of the twenty-first century, including an introduction to the Taiwanese
indigenous groups and their music. Chapter two discusses the function of choral
music in Taiwan’s music education system for music majors and non-majors, and
choral music’s use in society. Chapter three introduces the most financially
significant government-funded art grants and five Taiwanese choral organizations
associated with these grant programs. Chapter four describes the dissemination of
Taiwanese choral music domestically and abroad, including significant choral
vii
organizations and the Taiwanese sheet music industry. Chapter five identifies and
discusses ten notable Taiwanese composers and arrangers, including Chien Nan-
Chang, Chou Jenny H., Shih Ching-Ju, Tsai Yu-Shan, Lin Yu-Ling, Chang Shu-Han,
Chao Ching-Wen, Liu Shen-Hsien, Lin Ching-Mei, and Huang Chun-Da. Chapter six
summarizes the discussion and concludes with perspectives for further research.
This dissertation is dated in 2023. It will give a vital source to see how the
development of Taiwanese choral music continues growing in the following decades
of the twenty-first century.
1
CHAPTER 1
TAIWANESE MUSICAL DEVELOPMENT BEFORE THE START OF THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

1. Brief Overview and History of Taiwan
Taiwan is an island located in the western Pacific, between Japan and the
Philippines, off the southeast coast of China. Separated from the Asian continent by
the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan is approximately 125 miles from the Fujian Province of
Mainland China. To the northeast and south, Taiwan is about 787 miles from Japan
and 225 miles from the Philippines.
1
Taiwan's length is about 244 miles kilometers
long and 89 miles wide at its widest point.
2
Its jurisdiction extends to the
archipelagoes of Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, as well as numerous other islets, with
a total area of around 36,197 square kilometers. Taiwan's size is similar to the
Netherlands, but with a population of 23.3 million, it is more crowded than three-
quarters of the world's nations.
3

Portuguese sailors first passed Taiwan in 1544, naming the island "Ilha
Formosa," meaning beautiful island.
4
“Formosa” is still occasionally used as the
name for the island. This name “Formosa” eventually replaced all others in
European literature and remained common among English speakers into the 20th

1
Weng Chia-Fen, “The Development and Growth of Choral Music in Taiwan (1624-1994)” (DMA diss.,
University of Texas at Austin, 1995), 1.
2
Chang Cheng-pu, ”Taiwanese Choral Music: History and Use of Traditional Aboriginal Music in
Selected Works” (DMA diss., University of Miami, 2007), 1.
3
"About Taiwan," Government Portal of the Republic of China (Taiwan), accessed December 1, 2022,
https://www.taiwan.gov.tw/about.php.
4
Chang, 1.
2
century. European colonial powers recognized the importance of this island as an
extension of their naval strength. As a result, Dutch and Spanish settlers established
outposts in the early seventeenth century, beginning their colonization. Before this
colonization, the island was inhabited by indigenous Austronesians.
5

In 1624, the Dutch East India Company established a settlement in the
southwestern part of this island and called it “Tayovan” or “Tayouan,” based on the
names of nearby native tribes. They initially wanted laborers who raised venison,
producing crops and hides. However, the Austronesians were not interested in
agriculture, and most planted only enough for themselves and their families. Due to
the high cost of bringing settlers from Europe, the Dutch introduced about fifteen
thousand Fujianese immigrants from China to build their commercial agricultural
colony in the southwestern area.
6
Around the same time, the Spanish colonized the
northern region but were ousted by the Dutch in 1642.
The colonization of Taiwan by the Dutch did not last long, as they were
expelled by Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) loyalist Cheng Cheng-Gong's
7
naval fleet in
1662. The Ming Dynasty ruled over the island through Cheng and called it “Dongdu.”

5
The Austronesian group refers to a diverse collection of people across Oceania and Southeast Asia
who share a common linguistic heritage within the Austronesian language family. This expansive
group includes nations such as Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, and
Madagascar, as well as Hawaii, Polynesia, and the indigenous communities of Taiwan. Furthermore,
the group encompasses various ethnicities, including the Hui Hui of Hainan (a Cham sub-group), the
Maori (a Polynesian sub-group from New Zealand with Papuan ancestry), and Melanesians who do
not speak a Papuan language family, among others. The Austronesian Nation Areas, encompassing
regions such as the Pattani region of Thailand, Singapore, the western plains of Vietnam, and the
Champa region (including the former Kingdom of Champa in south-central Vietnam) and Cambodia,
serve as the hub for the group's diverse distribution. Spanning from the northern reaches of Taiwan
to the far western reaches of Madagascar, and from the easternmost point of Easter Island to the
southernmost point of New Zealand, the Austronesian Islands represent a vast geographical range.
6
Tonio Andrade, “The Rise and Fall of Dutch Taiwan, 1624-1662: Cooperative Colonization and the
Statist Model of European Expansion,” Journal of World History 17, no. 4 (2006): 429–50.
7
In Chinese practice, the family name comes before the given name.
3
In 1683, the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) defeated Cheng's regime (the Ming
Dynasty), taking control of western and northern coastal areas. The Qing dynasty
established Taiwan Prefecture, which was the first time this island's current name.
For the next two centuries, Taiwan was ruled by the Qing empire. Taiwan became a
Japanese colony with the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. Taiwan's
occupation ended with Japan's surrender after the Second World War.
The official name of Taiwan is the Republic of China (ROC), founded in 1912
while it was still located on the Chinese mainland. The ROC was the first democratic
government in Asia. In 1945, the ROC government began exercising jurisdiction over
Taiwan after Japan surrendered at the end of World War II. Later in 1949, the
Chinese Communist Party established the People's Republic of China (PRC). After
losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the ROC government withdrew to Taipei,
relocating to Taiwan. ROC refers to the sanctioned name for Taiwan and separates
itself from the People's Republic of China, also referred to as Mainland China.
Neither government recognizes the other politically. Around 1.2 million people
moved to Taiwan in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
8
The ROC government gradually
transformed into a multiparty democratic government. In 1996, Taiwan held its
first-ever direct presidential election, a significant milestone in Taiwan's history.
The population composition in Taiwan includes two groups: the Han people
(the Hakka, the Hokkien, the Mainlander) and the indigenous people (Taiwanese
aborigines). The Han people, considered the pure Chinese race, began to migrate in

8
"History," Government Portal of the Republic of China (Taiwan), accessed December 5, 2022,
https://www.taiwan.gov.tw/about.php.
4
small numbers from mainland China in the fourteenth century. The first significant
mass migration to Taiwan from China happened after the Ming Dynasty. Early Han
immigrants primarily came from two areas: China's southeastern coastal Fujian
Province (Hokkien) and Guangdong Province (Hakka). These two Han sub-groups
comprise about eighty-five percent of the Han population, with the Hokkien
outnumbering the Hakka three to one. In 1949, the last group of immigrants with
the ROC government arrived in Taiwan from multiple parts of China. This group
accounts for less than fifteen percent of the Han population and is referred to as "the
Mainlanders."
The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin which the ROC government
established after their relocation to Taiwan in 1949. Taiwan's language and dialects
can be divided into two categories: the Hanyu (from the Sino-Tibetan languages
9
)
and the Austronesian. Most people in Taiwan use Hanyu, and the most common
language for communication is Mandarin. The primary dialects include Taiwanese
(also known as Hokkien or Minnanese) and Hakka, by the immigrants from China's
Fujian and Guangdong Provinces. Taiwan's indigenous tribes use Austronesian
languages and include the various aboriginal languages.

9
Sino-Tibetan languages are a family of more than 400 languages, second only to Indo-European in
the number of native speakers. The vast majority of these are the 1.3 billion native speakers of
Chinese languages.
5
2. Taiwanese Indigenous People
Taiwan is a multicultural society composed of many different groups. Most of
Taiwan's residents are Han Chinese, accounting for about 96.4% of the total
population. The other 2.5% (567,000 as of March 2022) are the sixteen Taiwanese
aboriginal groups. The remaining 1.1% include ethnic minorities from mainland
China, Hong Kong, Macao, and foreigners from other countries. Taiwan's earliest
aboriginal inhabitants are the Austronesians, who migrated from southern China
around the ninth century BCE. They have strong relationships with the Malay
Austronesian peoples from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
10

Taiwanese aborigines include two groups, the Pingpu tribes and the
Mountain tribes. The Pingpu (plain) is a branch of the Austronesian linguistic family
distributed in the Lanyang plain, the northeast corner, the north coast, the Taipei
basin, the west coast plain to southern Taiwan around Tainan, Kaohsiung, and
Pingtung. Due to their geographical location, the Pingpu tribes had to face the
impact of political, economic, language, cultural, and other forces by many outsiders.
Also, these areas were the first arrival location of the Han people. Since the
seventeenth century, the Pingpu people have integrated with many Han immigrants.
Since the seventeenth century, the Pingpu people have integrated with the Han
immigrants. Today, it is difficult to distinguish between the Pingpu and Han.
Historically, scholars have had different opinions on the classification of
Pingpu tribes. However, according to information from the Executive Yuan — the
highest administrative organization of the Republic of China — the Pingpu tribes

10
Chang, 3.
6
can be roughly divided into eight tribes: Kavalan, Ketagalan, Taokas, Pazeh, Paipu,
Papora, Babuza, Hoanya, and Siraya.
11
In addition, at the time of this dissertation,
the Kaxabu, Taivoan, and Makatau tribes are actively working to be recognized as
independent Pingpu tribes.
12

The Mountain tribes dwell on the high mountains, central mountain, and the
east coast and are scattered on Lanyu island. Due to their isolation from the Han
people, the mountain tribes could preserve their language, faith, traditional culture,
customs, social organization, and musical heritage until World War II. Since the mid-
twentieth century, many tribes have converted to Christianity rather than the most
common Taiwanese religions (Buddhism and Daoism). Also, their traditions have
been affected by modern popular culture in recent years.
13

Before the twentieth century, when people referred to the aboriginal people,
they included the Pingpu tribes.
14
However, in the early twenty-first century the
Taiwanese only consider the nine Mountain tribes when discussing aboriginal
culture.
15
The nine Mountain tribes include Atayal, Saisiyat, Bunun, Cou, Rukai,
Paiwan, Puyuma (Pinuyumayan), Amis, and Yami.
Although there are several branches of Taiwanese aboriginal groups, the
Taiwanese government officially only recognizes sixteen indigenous tribes. This list
includes all nine Mountain tribes mentioned above, plus the Thau, Kebalan, Truku,

11
"Race," Government Portal of the Republic of China (Taiwan), accessed December 5, 2022,
https://www.taiwan.gov.tw/about.php.
12
Ibid.
13
Wu Rong-Shun, The Beauty of Taiwanese Aboriginal Music (Taipei: Han Guang Culture, 1999), 8–9.
14
Weng, 3.
15
Weng, 7.
7
Sakizaya, Hla'alua, Seediq/Sediq/Seejiq, Kanakanavu.
16
The Amis has the largest
population, followed by the Paiwan and the Atayal. Each tribe has its own culture,
customs, language, music, and lifestyle. Figure 1 shows the distribution map of
Taiwanese indigenous tribes officially recognized by the government.

Figure 1.1: Distribution map of Taiwanese Indigenous Tribes
17

16
“Race,” Ibid.
17
National Museum of Prehistory, “Distribution of Taiwanese Indigenous Sixteen Tribes,” Facebook,
March 30, 2023,
https://m.facebook.com/NMPrehistory/posts/3196843663668138/?comment_id=3239055509446
953.
8
3. Overall Musical Development
As previously discussed, since the seventeenth century, Taiwan has been
inhabited and governed by several nations, which can be divided into the following
periods: the Dutch-Spanish period (1624–61), the Ming period from Prince Zheng
Cheng-gong (the last general of the Ming Dynasty) (1661–83), the Qing period
(1683–1895), the period of Japanese occupation (1895–1945) and the years of
Chinese Nationalist government (1945–87). In 1987, Taiwan abandoned Martial
Law,
18
followed shortly by the first democratic elections in 1991.
19

According to the New Grove Dictionary, there are four types of Taiwanese
music: aboriginal music, Han Chinese traditional music, western art music, and
popular music.
20
There are very few documents that record Taiwanese music before
the Dutch-Spanish period in 1624. In the seventeenth century, the Dutch Calvinist
and Spanish Catholic missionaries came with Christian hymns and brought western
art music to Taiwan. During the Dutch occupation of Taiwan, the missionaries
taught native aboriginal tribes to sing hymns in their language. However, the Dutch
did not prepare the local people to teach future generations in music. After the
Dutch retreated from Taiwan, the indigenous people lacked the skills to instruct
their fellow tribes in singing or music. As a result, the practice of Dutch religious

18
Taiwan's Martial Law ran from 1949 to 1987, running for 38 years, making it the longest martial
law imposed at the time. Martial law involves the temporary substitution of military authority for
civilian rule and is usually invoked in time of war, rebellion, or natural disaster. When martial law is
in effect, the military commander of an area or country has unlimited authority to make and enforce
laws.
19
Hsu Tsang-Houei, Lu Yu-Hsiu, Lü, Chuikuan, Han Kuo-Huang, and Joanna C. Lee, "Taiwan," Grove
Music Online, 2001, accessed December 8, 2022, https://www-oxfordmusiconline-
com.libproxy2.usc.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-
9781561592630-e-0000049502.
20
Ibid.
9
music stopped.
21

Sacred music was abruptly halted during the Ming and Qing Dynasties
through Taiwan’s two-hundred-year isolation from western influences. During this
era, Han Chinese traditional music was introduced from mainland China and
performed mainly by the immigrant descendants of Hokkien and Hakka people from
southeast China. This music includes singing, instrumental music, theater, dance,
and narrative. There are four main musical genres in practice: Buddhist and Daoist
ritual music, Nanguan, Beiguan, and other vocal music.
22
In 1859, Taiwan was
reopened to the west through the Treaty of Tien-Zin. Following the Sino-Japanese
War in 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan. During this time, the Japanese established
a formal education system based on the Western models in Taiwan. Music was an
integral part of this system, especially in the schools for training teachers, leading to
the rapid development of Taiwanese music in the twentieth century.

4. Music of the Taiwanese Indigenous Groups
Due to the geographical location, each aboriginal group developed its own
musical culture. Vocal music played a significant role in Taiwanese aboriginal music,
while instrumental music was less important due in part to the close relationship
between text and folk culture. There are four types of vocal styles in aboriginal
music. These include monophony (recitative, melody-singing, call-and-response

21
Weng, 34.
22
Hsu Tsang-Houei, et al., “Taiwan,” Ibid.
10
between individuals or between solo and group), polyphony (organum, canon,
singing with drone bass, free counterpoint), harmony (with both natural chords
using major triads and consonant harmony using both major and minor triads) and
heterophony. Because vocal music's particular usage and meaning differ from tribe
to tribe, and ancestors used oral transmission rather than written records, singing
has an important function and purpose for cultural transfer.
23

Singing reflects the daily life of the aboriginal people. It occurs in religious
activities, weddings, and funerals; it provides entertainment for people to play,
drink, and dance. Also, it disseminates their tribes' myths and legends; it is a prayer
for rain, expels illness, or connects with spirits; expresses feelings; and maintains
family and tribal unity.
Presently, many Taiwanese musicians do not recognize the Pingpu people as
distinct aboriginal people and tend to think of them as Mountain people.
24
As a
result, few musicians have tried to preserve their music. Throughout the past two
hundred years, the Pingpu people have gradually assimilated with the mountain
tribes and the Han tribes leading to the near extinction of the Pingpu musical
heritage. Unlike the Pingpu tribes, the mountain people were fortunately isolated
from the Han people until the twentieth century. As a result, the mountain tribes
were able to retain their musical heritage into the twentieth century.
25

23
Ibid.
24
Weng, 8.
25
Weng, 11.
11
The music of the mountain tribes was transcribed and recorded during the
1930s through the work of several Japanese and Taiwanese musicologists.
26

However, the mountain people have faced similar challenges as the Pingpu. They are
gradually assimilating with the Han people, as the purity of their musical heritage
has become tainted by modern civilization.
27
As Weng Chia-Fen (b.1964) states,
It is ironic that many young mountain people went to be trained in the
western way while most western-trained Taiwanese musicians want to
preserve the mountain music.
28

Several researchers made efforts to preserve indigenous Taiwanese music.
When the Japanese musicologists discovered the Taiwanese music, it attracted the
attention of the musicological world. These scholars left resources for further
studies in ethnomusicology. The most famous Japanese musicologist of Taiwanese
aboriginal music is Takatomo Kurosawa (1895–1987). In 1943, he came to Taiwan
to study nine Taiwanese mountain tribes, collecting, transcribing, and recording
their folksongs and instrumental music, creating twenty-six LPs. Also, in Kurosawa's
1973 book, The Highland Music of Taiwan, he identified three categories and ten
subcategories of the Highland People’s singing styles (Table 1).
29

26
Hsu Tsang-Houei, Taiwan Yin Yue Shih Chu Gao [Music History of Taiwan, First Draft] (Taipei:
Chuan-Yin, 1991), 21–24.
27
Weng, 11.
28
Ibid.
29
Takatomo Kurosawa, Daka Ko Zoku ho An Gaku [The Highland Music of Taiwan], (Tokyo:
Shiungaromo, 1973), 57.
12
Table 1.1: Takatomo Kurosawa’s classifications of Taiwanese Aboriginal Music
singing styles
I Monodic songs
leader and group
recitative style
aria style
II Harmonic songs
octave, fourth, or fifth
triadic chordal
free harmony
III Polyphonic songs
Parallel fourth or fifth
Canon
Ostinato
Free counterpoint

Japanese scholars completed the earliest systematic research about
Taiwanese aboriginal music during the Japanese occupation.
30
However, due to the
unstable political environment, comprehensive studies of traditional music were not
completed until the 1960s. In 1966, Shi Wei-Liang (1926–1977) and Hsu Tsang-
Houei (1929–2001) launched the "Folksong collection movement," and almost all
Taiwanese musicians followed and advocated the movement.
31
The academic study
of ethnomusicology arose in Taiwan in the early 1980s, and it has since become a
significant subject of study in graduate studies in academic institutions. Due to the
significant improvement in ethnomusicological training, aboriginal music has
become a primary focus of study in recent years.
32

30
Weng, 11–12.
31
Hsu Tsang-Houei, et al., “Taiwan,” Ibid.
32
Ibid.
13
According to Hsu Tsang-Houei's research, individual and group singing are
an essential part of the aboriginal tribe’s daily life. Hsu identifies four classifications
of singing: ceremonial, legend, working, and love songs. Hsu’s research also
identified four categories and eleven types of aboriginal vocal styles (Table 2).
33

Solo voice (monophony) includes the styles of recitative and melody-singing. All
other styles are related to group singing and employ techniques found in choral
music.

Table 1.2: Hsu Tsang-Houei's Taiwanese Aboriginal Vocal Style Categories

Category Styles Favored by Tribes
I Monophony
Recitative
Yami
Paiwan
Melody Singing
Amis
Atayal
Cou
Call-and-response between individuals
Yami
Atayal
Call-and-response between solo and
group
All
II Polyphony
Parallel fourth or fifth organum
Bunun
Saisiyat
Canon Atayal
Singing with drone bass
Paiwan
Rukai
Amis
Free counterpoint Amis
III Harmony
Diatonic chords Bunun
Consonant harmony using both major and
minor triads
Bunun
Cou
IV Heterophony Heterophony
Yami
Puyuma
Rukai

33
Hsu Tsang-Houei, Taiwan Yin Yue Shih Chu Gao, Ibid., 27–28.
14
Additionally, Loh I-To (b. 1962) is an expert in combining church and
traditional music and received his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at the University of
California, Los Angeles.
34
He developed a method for classifying aboriginal
polyphony, identifying eight polyphonic group singing styles.
35
Chang Cheng-pu (b.
1976), in his doctoral dissertation, Taiwanese Choral Music: History and Use of
Traditional Aboriginal Music in Selected Works, organized a table (Table 3) to show
the diverse singing styles of aboriginal singing.
36

Table 1.3: Aboriginal Polyphonic Group-singing Categories by Loh I-To
Polyphonic style Type Tribes
Intermittent polyphony
Cou
Rukai
Paiwan
Amis
Melody with a drone bass
Paiwan
Rukai
Puyuma
Canon
Authentic canon Atayal
Sectional canon Puyuma
Free canon Amis
Parallel polyphony
Parallel fourth Saisiyat
Parallel fourth and fifth
Bunun
Cou
Parallel third
Puyuma
Yami

34
Su Chien-Hui, "The Analysis and Interpretation of I-to Loh’s Choral WorksThe Analysis and
Interpretation of I-to Loh’s Choral WorksThe Analysis and Interpretation of I-to Loh's Choral Works,"
(master's thesis, Fu Jen Catholic University, 2007), 9.
35
Loh I-To, “Puyuma Multipart Singing Technique and Social Organization,” Chinese Ethnomusicology
III, (1988): 223–245.
36
Chang, 19.
15
Isorhythmic polyphony Bunun
Group singing with repeated
tone figures

Amis
Bunun
Atayal
Group singing with tone-
clusters
Yami
Complicated polyphonic
structure
Progressive harmony Bunun
Overlapping structure Cou
Unison-polyphony-unison Amis

By the start of the twenty-first century, Taiwanese aboriginal music study
was a mainstream branch of Taiwanese choral music. Dirk DuHei (b.1944), the
founder and artistic director of the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and
Education, identified the importance of aboriginal music on choral composition in
an International Choral Bulletin article stating,
The composition of native choral music can now be divided into two groups:
one, which uses native material, including traditional Chinese opera music
and folk songs of the Hokkien, the Hakka (two branches of the continental
Han people who arrived in Taiwan a masse after the sixteenth century), and
the aborigines, to arrange or to create new music, while the other uses
Chinese classical or modern poems with accompanying modern
compositional technique and the composer's specific music language for new
works.
37

37
Dirk DuHei and Lee Ming-Lun, “Choral Music in Taiwan,” International Choral Bulletin, vol. 20, no. 3
(April 2001) : 9.
16
5. Choral Music Development Before the Twenty-First Century

5a. Before World War II
The development of choral music in Taiwan was a product of western
Christian traditions. Before the twentieth century, Taiwanese choral music
progressed slowly. Before the Dutch and Spanish arrival, Taiwan only contacted
western culture through commerce and trade. Western music was first introduced
in Taiwan during the Dutch and Spanish occupation. The Dutch introduced the
Christian faith to secure their political position and established schools with priests
as teachers to further their political and religious agenda.
The earliest Taiwanese group singing beyond chant occurred during the
Dutch occupation. In a letter from Formosa (Taiwan) governor, Jan van der Burg to
the Governor-General and Councilors of India, Burg writes,
About sixty girls are also daily instructed in the prayers and other subjects,
the Sabbath is duly observed, and more than seven hundred persons come to
hear the sermons. Led by Mr. Junius and other Dutch residents, the school
girls sing before and after the sermon, in the most edifying way, a hymn in
the Sinkan language according to the melody of the Hundredth Psalm of
David. May our Lord bless this good work, and increase it more and more.
38

Burg’s letter from October 5, 1636, marks the first written record of
ensemble singing in Taiwan.
39
At this time, the Han people had not yet migrated to
Taiwan, and the school girls mentioned by Campbell were possibly from the
aboriginal Pingpu tribe.
40
The Dutch priests would have taught students to sing their

38
William Campbell, Formosa Under the Dutch (London: Kegan and Paul, 1903), 147.
39
Weng, 33.
40
Ibid.
17
country's hymns, which might have been in unison, although there may have been
some attempts at part singing.
41

After the Dutch left Taiwan in 1642, the priests were expelled due to the
Ming and Qing regime's religious oppression. These dynasties feared that different
religions would decrease the strength of a united people. Because of the self-
protective foreign policy, western music was non-existent in Taiwan for two
hundred years.
42

Following the Qing Dynasties’ defeat in the second Opium War (1856–1860),
they signed the Treaty of Tien-Zin in 1858, which reopened Taiwan to the western
world. Christianity returned, and with it, western music. English Presbyterian
missionaries arrived in Taiwan in 1860 to establish churches and schools, primarily
in southern Taiwan, beginning the era of Taiwanese music education.
43

In northern Taiwan, the churches were associated with the Canadian
Presbyterian system. Traveling to Taiwan in 1872, Dr. George Leslie MacKay (1844–
1901), a Canadian medical doctor, founded over sixty churches. He also established
the Oxford College and Christian Girls' College in Danshui. Through his leadership,
the western sacred singing style quickly spread in the north.
44

Japan ruled Taiwan for fifty years after the signing of the Treaty of
Shimonoseki at the end of the Sino-Japanese War in 1895. To further control the
Taiwanese, the Japanese attempted to remove Taiwanese culture by requiring

41
Hsu Tsang-Houei, ed., Choral Music History in Taiwan (Taipei: Department of Education, 1991)
videocassette, 45 min.
42
Weng, 35–36.
43
Weng, 35–41.
44
Ibid.
18
citizens only to speak Japanese. The Japanese also implemented an educational
system that was modeled after the curriculum in Japan, which included the study of
music. They believed that musical training would help people learn Japanese.
Although the Japanese aimed to control Taiwan through education, they
significantly improved Taiwan's educational system. One feature of this
improvement includes adding a "singing class" for some introduction to western
music theory. The Japanese educational system greatly influenced the future
development of Taiwanese music after the Japanese left Taiwan in 1945.
45
Japan's
significant role in the continuing development of Taiwanese music was especially
evident through the introduction of western music.
The Japanese government encouraged the finest students by offering them
scholarships to study music in Japan. Additionally, students attending Christian
schools went to Japan to further their music studies. It was during the Japanese
occupation that the first native Taiwanese art music was seen and heard. Among
these pioneers who studied in Japan were the composers Chiang Wen-Ye (1910–
1983), Chen Su-ti (1911–1992), Lü Chuan-Sheng (1916–2008), and Guo Zhi-Yuan
(1921–2013).
46

Three researchers classified the historical periods of Taiwanese choral music
development after World War II. However, they do not agree on the exact timing of
each period. Dirk DuHei identifies the following three periods: the early period
(1945–60), the middle period (1960–78), and the contemporary period (1978–). In

45
Weng, 55.
46
Hsu Tsang-Houei, et al., “Taiwan,” Ibid.
19
Weng Chia-Fen's dissertation, she classified the following three periods: the
transitional period (1945–60), the development period (1960–75), and the self-
awareness period (1975 to the present).
47
Finally, Chang Cheng-pu set four periods
in his dissertation: the first period (1945–60), the second period (1960–75), the
third period (1975–90), and the period after 1990.
48
In this dissertation, the author
will be using the periods described by Chang Cheng-pu, giving that this is the most
recent document.

5b. 1945–1960 Period
The unstable political status in Taiwan led to a period of chaos between 1945
and 1960. Taiwan faced profound changes in its educational and cultural views.
Additionally, Mandarin was once again adopted as the official language throughout
the country, including in the school curriculum. In her dissertation, Weng refers to
this time as the "transitional period."
49
Choral development in churches, schools,
and communities experienced steady growth. In the 1950s, choral music was
primarily patriotic, anti-communist, and anti-Japanese. Also, composers wrote many
art songs or arranged Chinese folk songs to help people embrace Chinese culture.
Taiwan's National Student Competition was first held in 1956, and choral
music was included as a competitive category. The competition served as a form of
music education promotion, and choral singing became popular at all levels of
public education. Also, the first Taiwanese Symphony Orchestra and Chorus was

47
Weng, 71.
48
Chang, 40–50.
49
Weng, 71.
20
founded in 1945, with Lü Chuang-Sheng serving as the first chorus director. In 1947,
Tsai Ji-Kuen (1912–2004) led the orchestra and chorus in Beethoven's Symphony
No.9, marking the first time Taiwan performed a major western choral-orchestral
composition.
50

In 1957, Lü Chuang-Shen founded Rongxing Children's Chorus, Taiwan's first
children's chorus. Lü contributed to the promotion of Taiwanese music including
arranging folksongs and composing numerous choral works for children's choirs.
For his contributions to choral music, many Taiwanese musicians identify Lü as the
father of Taiwanese choral music.
51

5c. 1960–1975 Period
Due to political stability and economic progress, Taiwan developed into a
modern and industrial society, leading Weng to refer to this period as the
developmental period.
52
The Kuomintang (the Nationalist Party) focused on
building new higher educational institutions complete with music departments.
Some native Taiwanese musicians continued to travel abroad to Japan for
continuing study during the 1950s. However, in the 1960s, the next generation of
musicians preferred to study in Europe and the United States.
Hsu Tsang-Houei and Shi Wei-Liang were the two most representative
composers of the second generation. Hsu went to Paris and studied with André

50
Lü Chuang-Shen, "The Choral Development in Taiwan - IV." Jin Ri Sheng Huo [Today's Life] 159
(December 1979):30.
51
Ibid.
52
Weng, 71.
21
Jolivet (1905–1974) and Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992). During Hsu's studies in
Paris, his teacher encouraged him to study Chinese music history and carry forward
his traditional cultural spirit based on western composition techniques. After
returning to Taiwan in 1959, he established several composers' associations,
including the Chinese Composers Forum (1963), the Chinese Society for
Contemporary Music (1969), and the Asian Composers’ League (1971), to promote
contemporary music.
53
Shi went to Madrid, Vienna, and Stuttgart to study
composition with Johann Nepomuk David (1895–1977) and returned to Taiwan in
1960.
54
Beginning in 1966, Hsu and Shi together began the "Folksong Collection
Movement." The movement marked the first large-scale effort to collect folksongs
and aboriginal music that was in danger of becoming extinct. Researchers collected
approximately 2,000 traditional Taiwanese works during the movement, including
works by indigenous tribes and the Han people. Moreover, they presented the first
public concert of Taiwanese folk music in 1977. Hsu and Shi became the foremost
authorities on Taiwanese traditional music, and their contributions played a
significant role in the 1980s, establishing this subject in higher education
institutions in granting graduate degrees.
55

Most second-generation composers introduced modern western music to
Taiwan, including avant-garde approaches to their compositions. Also, they
embraced other forms, such as atonality, serialism, minimalism, unconventional
playing and singing techniques, electronic music, and even stage movement. These

53
Chang, 44.
54
Ibid.
55
Ibid.
22
composers tried to use these newly acquired techniques to express personal style
and cultural heritage, stimulating a new vision for choral music development.
56

5d. 1975–1990 Period
Chiang Kai-Shek (1887–1975) was Taiwan's president from 1948 to 1975.
After Chiang died in 1975, Taiwan was released from the strict political restrictions
of the Nationalist government. The Xiangtu Wenxue (native literature) movement in
1977 and 1978 focused on a return to the roots of the island. It was seen through
writings, films, paintings, and music.
57

Yen Chia-Kan (1905–1993) had served as vice-president of Taiwan during
Chiang’s presidency and was appointed interim president from 1975–1978. Chiang
Ching-Kuo (1910–1988) served as president from 1978 to 1988. Under his guidance
the country was stable, openness to change occurred, and the arts flourished. Choral
activities expanded throughout schools. churches, and communities, including the
corporate sector. One of the most prestigious choirs, the Taipei Philharmonic
Chorus, was founded in 1972. Dirk DuHei was appointed as the conductor in 1983
upon his return from his studies in the United States. In 1988, Dirk DuHei and
supporters established the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and
Education, the first cultural foundation to promote choral music in Taiwan.
To foster young vocalists to develop their careers, the Ministry of Education
founded the National Experimental Chorus in 1985. It was the first semi-

56
Hsu Tsang-Houei, et al., “Taiwan,” Ibid.
57
Chang, 46.
23
professional choir in Taiwan's history which, for the first time, provided singers
with a stipend for their services. Tai Ching-Chuan (b.1938) was the first conductor
upon returning to Taiwan from his studies in Austria in 1983. He conducted the
National Experimental Chorus until 2001.
58
This choir performed regularly with the
National Symphony Orchestra. The government's commitment to the arts was also
seen in the commitment to build the National Arts Center, which included a concert
hall and a theater in 1975. The National Concert Hall opened in 1987. With
governmental support, since 1993, the National Experimental Chorus was granted
use of the hall for regular rehearsals.

5e. 1990–2000 Period
Taiwanese choral music rapidly developed after 1990 with the innovation of
the internet, expanding Taiwan’s connection with the rest of the world. The "Taipei
International Choral Festival" was held by the Council for Cultural Affairs (under the
Executive Yuan) in 1991. It was the first international choral festival in the history
of Taiwan, featuring eighteen international choirs and twenty-four Taiwanese choirs
in the span of two months. Followed by the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for
Culture and Education’s new festival — Taipei International Choral Festival — in
1996. The festival has since become a significant choral event in Asia. Foreign choral
groups have been introduced to Taiwan by these international choral events and
allowed Taiwanese choirs opportunities for cultural exchange.

58
Chu Ching-I, "Choral conductor: TAI Ching-Chuan, the man and his music - Observational study of a
chorus teaching scene," (master's thesis, National Taichung University of Education, 2012), 64.
24
The ability and desire of professional choral conductors to complete their
advanced studies abroad began during this period and continues today. With their
additional education studies, these conductors have added new repertoire and
educational concepts into their teaching and conducting in Taiwan helping the
country to grow significantly. These conductors include Weng Chia-Fen, the current
president of the Taiwan Choral Association (DMA in choral conducting at the
University of Texas at Austin), Liang Serene Show-Ling (b. 1965) (DMA in choral
conducting at the University of Maryland), and Pan Yu-Wen (b. 1966) (Ph.D. in
choral music education at Ohio State University). They were the first three
Taiwanese conductors who received a doctoral degree in choral music. Also, Su
Julian Ching-Chun (b.1956) studied at the Westminster Choir College, returned to
Taiwan, and founded the Formosa Singers. After studying in Vienna, Chen Yun-Hung
(b.1960) received her master’s degree from Westminster Choir College and served
as the first conductor of the Taipei Chamber Singers. There are a number of other
Taiwanese colleagues that have completed their graduate studies abroad.
In conjunction with technological advancements, Taiwanese choirs have
been able to connect with the international choral community via the internet,
which has stimulated continued choral music development. Also, attending
international choral festivals has become more common for Taiwanese choirs,
leading to the presentation of Taiwanese choral music and culture on the world
stage. However, due to the conscription policy of military service, it was not easy for
men to travel internationally without permission in the early years. In 1991, the
government’s relaxation of the travel policy made international performance
25
possible for those of the conscription age.
59
Many outstanding Taiwanese choirs
were established during this period:
● The Taipei Chamber Singers (1992)
● The Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir (1993)
● The Formosa Singers (1994)
● The Taipei Male Choir (1998)
● The Müller Chamber Choir (1999)

59
The military conscription age in Taiwan is eighteen to thirty-six.
26
CHAPTER 2
CHORAL MUSIC IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND SOCIETY

1. Music Education System
In Taiwan, students receive musical training from elementary through the
senior school level. At the university level, ensemble classes are a requirement for
all students majoring in music. This element is significant as there are no
undergraduate degrees in choral music in Taiwan. As a result, the ensembles might
be the only opportunity for music majors to learn techniques about choral music.

1a. Gifted Students Music Courses
Taiwan’s educational program for gifted students plays an essential role in a
school's professional art education. In the 1970s, the government developed art-
talented classes systematically fostering elementary, junior high, and senior high
students with talent in the arts. The Ministry of Education enacted the "Special
Education Law" in 1984 and the "Arts Education Law" in 1997, allowing schools to
develop further and expand their classes for the gifted in the arts.
1

The gifted classes in the arts include four areas: music, dance, fine arts, and
theater, with schools allowed to offer courses in a specific discipline. Not all schools
focus on music; according to the Art Education Advocacy Center public information,
181 schools provide gifted classes in music (fifty-nine elementary schools, eighty-

1
Chang Kai-Wei, “The Evolution and Current Status of Music Talented Classes in Penghu City”
(master’s thesis, National Kaohsiung Normal University, 2018), 6–9.
27
nine junior high schools, and thirty-three senior high schools) in Taiwan. The
number of gifted classes in music varies by city or county based on population and
local policy. Table 4 lists schools in cities or counties that offer classes for gifted
students.

Table 2.1: The Number of Schools for Courses for Gifted Musicians in Taiwan
2

City/County
Elementary
School
Junior High
School
Senior High
School
Total
Keelung City 1 1 1 3
New Taipei City 5 4 4 13
Taipei City 3 4 3 10
Taoyuan City 4 7 4 15
Hsinchu City 2 1 1 4
Hsinchu County 0 7 0 7
Miaoli County 2 2 0 4
Taichung City 8 9 3 20
Changhua County 3 5 3 11
Chiayi City 3 3 1 7
Chiayi County 2 8 0 10
Yunlin County 1 8 1 10
Nantou County 1 1 1 3
Tainan City 3 6 1 10
Kaohsiung City 13 12 6 31
Pingtung County 3 6 1 10
Yilan County 2 2 1 5
Hualien County 1 1 1 3
Taitung County 1 1 0 2
Penghu County 1 1 1 3
Kinmen County 0 0 0 0
Lienchiang County 0 0 0 0
Total 59 89 33 181

2
"Art Education Advocacy Center," National Taiwan Normal University, accessed November 18,
2022, https://artistic.finearts.ntnu.edu.tw/school/search.
28
According to the government policy, music-talented classes are limited to a
class size of no more than thirty students beginning in the third grade and
continuing through high school.
3
The gifted program for music students includes the
general education curriculum but adds music theory, performance techniques, and
private lessons. Classes for gifted students in the arts have been criticized by some
who believe these music opportunities should be equally available to all students,
and that the government and schools should provide the same courses for all
Taiwanese students. Regardless of this criticism, courses for the musically gifted
have continually cultivated the musical talents of these students.

1b. Institutions for Teacher Training
During the Japanese occupation, Japan attempted to colonize Taiwan through
education. It was during this period of occupation that the Japanese established
colleges with a focus on teacher education. After World War II (1939–1945), when
the educational curriculum of Taiwan followed the Chinese curriculum established
in 1941, many schools were unable to provide music courses due to a lack of music
educators. In addition, teaching the Chinese language was considered more
important. The classes in music also lacked materials and textbooks, further
preventing music instruction in the classroom.
4
From 1945 to 1949, Taiwan became
politically unstable due to the change of government and the Chinese Civil War
between the Communists and the Nationalists (Kuomintang). When the Kuomintang

3
Chang, “The Evolution and Current Status of Music Talented Classes in Penghu City,” Ibid, 18.
4
Weng, 75.
29
government retreated and settled in Taiwan in 1949, they emphasized the
importance of education and established new higher education institutions.
The Taiwan Provincial Normal College was founded in 1946, which had been
originally named Taipei Normal College during the Japan rule. Initially, the school
offered a two-year curriculum but expanded the program in 1948 to five-years, and
established the first music department in Taiwan. The college later changed its
name to the National Taiwan Provincial University in 1955, adjusted the curriculum
to a four-year program with a new mission to prepare middle and high school
teachers. In 1967, the school became the National Taiwan Normal University. The
need to train music educators became an additional mission of the university, and
NTNU became an important center in the collegiate educational system. One of the
most significant results of this new educational program was the distinguished
graduates of the National Taiwan Normal University who represent the second-
generation composers, which include Shi Wei-Liang, Hsu Tsang-Houei, and Liu De-Yi
(1929–1991).
5

In addition to the National Taiwan Normal University, two other universities
focus on teacher preparation. These include the National Changhua University of
Education (est. 1989) and the National Kaohsiung Normal University (est. 1989).
National Kaohsiung Normal University began a music department in 1994, while
National Changhua University of Education never added a music department.
In the 1990s, nine teachers’ colleges were operating where the mission was
elementary teacher education and were established during the Japanese occupation

5
Hsu Tsang-Houei, et al., “Taiwan,” Ibid.
30
and continued to operate after the Japanese retreat. They included National Taipei
Teachers College, National Hsinchu Teachers College, National Taichung Teachers
College, National Chiayi Teachers College, National Tainan Teachers College,
National Pingtung Teachers College, National Taitung Teachers College, National
Hualien Teachers College, and the Taipei Municipal Teachers College.
6
The
preceding institutions all include a music education department allowing students
to further their musical studies after their high school graduation. During the
twenty-first century, these teachers’ colleges either merged with other institutions
or were renamed the University of Education.

1c. Institutions for Non-Education Music Majors
In 1955, the National School of Arts, Taiwan's second music school, was
founded in Taipei. The school's mission was not music education but rather to foster
professional performers. In 1960, the name of the National School of Arts’ name was
changed to the National Taiwan Academy of Arts. In 1994 it was renamed to the
National Taiwan College of Arts, and again in 2001, the institution changed its name
to the National Taiwan University of Arts. The first group of graduates from the
music department of this school became distinguished musicians, including Chen
Mao-Liang (1937–1997), Ma Shui-Long (1939–2015), Shen Jin-Tang (1940–2016),
Li Tai-Hsiang (1941–2014), You Chang-Fa (b. 1942), Lai De-He (b 1943), Weng
Long-Hsin (b. 1944), and Tai Ching-Chuan (b.1938).
7
Similar to the composers who

6
Due to the change of government system, the schools were named Provincial instead of National
before 1987.
7
Hsu Tsang-Houei, et al., “Taiwan,” Ibid.
31
graduated from the National Taiwan Normal University, these composers pursued
higher education degrees in Europe and America. They became the leading voice for
Taiwanese music upon their return.
Two other arts universities were founded in the last two decades of the
twentieth century. The National Institute of the Arts was established in 1982 in
northern Taiwan, later changing its name to the Taipei National University of the
Arts in 2001. The university’s music department remains among the top two choices
of high school graduates pursuing music studies.
8
Tainan National University of the
Arts, located in southern Taiwan, was founded in 1996. The school offers a seven-
year program designed for students to begin their studies while in senior high (3
years) continuing through four years of university study.
In addition to the teachers' schools and arts university system, there are
additional collegiate music departments at Taiwanese public and private
universities, (Included year marks the establishment of the music department, but
the actual founding of the university may differ):
● Shih Chien University (1958)
● Soochow University (1972)
● Chinese Cultural University (1962)
● Tunghai University (1971)
● Fu Jen Catholic University (1983)
● National Sun Yat-sen University (1989)
● National University of Tainan (1992)

8
The other being the National Taiwan Normal University.
32
● National Chiayi University (2000)
● Aletheia University (2000)
9

● National Taitung University (2006)
● National Dong Hwa University (2008)
10

2. Choral Music in the Schools

2a. Music Majors
Not all of the elementary, junior, and senior high schools in Taiwan provide
music courses for the gifted students. During their studies, students in the gifted
classes in music must enroll in an ensemble course (orchestra or choir).
Unfortunately, these two are typically scheduled simultaneously and have limited
enrollment. Each school typically has only one orchestra and not all instrumental
students are selected for the orchestral ensemble. As a result, many instrumental
students (especially pianists) are only able to enroll in choir to fulfill their ensemble
requirements. In general, the gifted courses for choral students often have limited
enrollment due to many factors. One of the main ones is that Taiwanese parents are
concerned that music and the arts are not a viable career path. The higher the grade
level, the fewer students enroll, including many parents removing their children
from the program prior to beginning at the junior and senior levels. Also, there is a

9
The Department of Applied Music is divided into two groups of “Performance Pedagogy” and
“Administration and Management” with independent curriculums.
10
The Music Department originated from the Hua-Lien University of Education Music Department in
2006 and was merged with the National Dong Hwa University in 2008.
33
declining population of junior and senior high school age students due to low birth
rates.
Most Asian countries, including Taiwan, do not offer undergraduate degrees
in choral music (similar to the United States). There are only two full-time choral
music positions in Taiwan. They are at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung
and Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei. Despite an ensemble requirement as part of
the student's educational degree, most positions are filled by part-time or
individuals who teach other subjects in the music departments. Many voice
professors led the music department's choral ensemble in the mid to late twentieth
century. Several university music departments have invited professional or famous
conductors to direct their choral ensemble as part-time employees, which has
provided Taiwanese students the ability to learn from these professional choral
experts. In addition to the choral ensemble, some schools offer choral conducting
courses as a required or elective class for the music major. This course provides
basic conducting skills for undergraduates who might be interested in conducting a
choir in the future.
Selected graduate institutions do provide universities with master's degrees
in choral conducting. In 1994, the Department of Music of the National Sun Yat-sen
University began the first master's degrees, including a masters in choral
conducting. It marked the first choral graduate degree at a Taiwanese university.
Weng Chia-Fen received her doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin
in 1996 and returned to Taiwan. She began that year as a full-time professor at
National Sun Yat-sen University. With this teaching appointment, Weng became the
34
first Taiwanese full-time university choral professor.
Later, the Fu Jen Catholic University and the Soochow University
11
began to
offer a master's degree for choral conducting as well. Su Julian Ching-Chun received
his master’s degree at the Westminster Choir College in 1994. When he returned to
Taiwan in 1995, he began to teach at the Fu Jen Catholic University Music
Department as a full-time professor of choral music.
The Taiwan Normal University Music Department provides a master's degree
in choral conducting, which initially required a minimum of three years of teaching
experience in the early 2000s, but it was later removed. Today these universities
foster a group of prestigious and active choral conductors in Taiwan.
In addition, the National Dong Hwa University, the National Kaohsiung
Normal University, the National University of Tainan,
12
and the Tunghai University
also offers a master’s degree in choral conducting. There is a master's degree in
choral conducting at the Tainan University of Technology, but it is only available for
an in-service
13
master's degree program. Several schools offer a master's degree for
conducting, but only for instrumental conducting, including the Taipei National
University of the Arts, the National Taiwan University of Arts, and the University of
Taipei.
The only school to provide a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral
conducting in Taiwan is the Fu Jen Catholic University, added to the curriculum in

11
The degree at Soochow University is no longer in existence.
12
The degree at National University of Tainan is no longer in existence.
13
The in-service program specially opened for working people encourages on-the-job learning, so
they use their spare time to attend classes. The classes are in the evenings on the weekday and the
whole day on the weekend.
35
2013. Most students choose to further their education abroad, but Fu Jen Catholic
University does offer the DMA for students who are unable to leave Taiwan.
Lin Shu-Na (b.1969) has received her doctorate in choral conducting from Fu Jen
Catholic University in 2022 and remains the single graduate.

2b. Non-Music Majors
The vast majority of Taiwanese primary and secondary schools do not offer
music courses for gifted students. Non-music major choral experience is limited to
student club participation. In 1957, to foster and promote music education in
schools, the government began a National Student Music Competition by adding an
ensemble category to the already established Taiwan Cultural Advance Association's
solo competition. The solo competition was first held in 1947 and is under the
supervision of the Ministry of Education. The ever-changing structure of the
Taiwanese government has modified and changed the host of the competition each
year. The host of the National Student Music Competition has switched from the
National Living Arts Center (2000–2006), then the National Educational Radio
(2007–2011) and is now under the auspices of the National Taiwan Arts Education
Center (2012–). Despite all of the name changes of the competition, the
establishment of the National Student Music Competition significantly impacted
choral music education, and it enhanced the popularity of choral singing on
campus.
14

The choral competition is divided into two rounds. The first round occurs

14
Chang, 41.
36
during the fall semester and is hosted locally by each ensemble’s city or county
government. Ensembles are eligible to compete in various categories, as outlined in
Table 5, as seen below. For the competition, each choir performs two works. One of
the works must be selected from the competition committee approved list
(compulsory list), the other is freely selected by the conductor. Following the first
round of competition, the winner of each category advances to the final (national)
competition, which takes place during the spring semester.

Table 2.2 : National Student Music Competition Ensemble Categories
School Levels Categories
Elementary School Equal Voice
Junior High School
Male Choir
Female Choir
Senior High School
Male Choir
Female Choir
Mixed Choir
College/University Choir
Male Choir
Female Choir
Mixed Choir

In the early years of the competition, the government required all
elementary, junior high, and senior high schools to participate in the student choral
competition, which resulted in choral music flourishing in the schools. Due to a
shortage of new choral repertoire, schools regularly repeated the same songs.
Repertoire availability significantly improved during the twenty-first century
37
through the expansion of the internet, allowing school ensembles the opportunity to
explore new choral repertoire from around the world. The increasing quality and
quantity of choral works led to the continued development of Taiwanese choral
ensembles. Many outstanding school choirs also traveled abroad, with some
winning major international choral competitions.
The Affiliated Senior High School of National Chung Hsing University Enchant
choir, conducted by Hsu Huei-Chun (b.1970), won the National Student Music
Competition championship in the high school mixed choir category yearly between
2006 and 2019. They also participated in numerous international choral
competitions. They received the Grand Prix at the International Choral Festival
Orientale Concentus in 2011. Also, they were awarded gold medals in mixed choir
and folklore categories and the jury prize at the Hong Kong International Youth &
Children's Choir Festival in 2015. In addition, this choir was awarded gold medals in
the youth choir and folklore categories and a silver medal in sacred music at the
Taipei International Choral Competition in 2018.
Taipei Chenggong Senior High School Choir, conducted by Nieh Yen-Hsiang
(b. 1977), was the National Student Music Competition champion in the high school
male choir category from 2010 to 2014. They also were awarded gold medals in the
young male choir (category champion) and folklore categories at the Hong Kong
International Youth & Children's Choir Festival in 2008 and the Grand Prix of the
Busan International Choral Festival in 2013.
National Hsinchu Girls Senior High School Choir, conducted by Kuo Hsin-Yi
(b. 1976), were named champion of the National Student Music Competition in the
38
high school female choir category from 2011 to 2016 and 2018. They were awarded
the gold medal in female choir and silver medal in folklore categories at the Hong
Kong International Youth & Children's Choir Festival in 2015; gold medals in the
female choir (category champion) and folklore categories at the Taipei International
Choral Competition in 2018.
To promote folk dialects, the Ministry of Education initiated a separate
competition for choirs in 2000, the National Competition of Folk Song for Teachers
and Students. The competition encourages students and teachers to learn native
languages as a means to preserve their culture and heritage. Initially, the
competition featured both individual and group competitions, four age categories
(elementary, junior high, senior high, and teachers), and two language divisions
(Hokkien and Hakka). In 2002, the competition added a new division, indigenous
languages. After 2006, the competition was limited to ensembles, excluding the
individual category.
15

Due to the increasing number of immigrants from the southeast, the National
Competition of Folk Song for Teachers and Students created the southeast countries'
languages division in 2015. In this division, choirs perform music representing the
languages of Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia,
Singapore, and the Philippines. The competition continues to inspire teachers and
students to learn new languages and enhance their knowledge of diverse cultures.
16

15
Chang Wei-Shan, "The research on songs selections of Music in National Competition of Folk Song
for Teachers and Students" (master's thesis, National University of Tainan, 2016), 5–6.
16
Ibid.
39
2c. University Level
Choral music is also very prominent at the university, including some even
holding campus-wide choral competitions. These competitions help to foster and
expand student engagement on university campuses. For example, campus choral
competitions include the National Cheng-Chi University Culture Cup Departments
Choral Competition, the Ming-Chuan University Freshmen Choral Competition, and
the Soochow University Soochow Cup Choral Competition.
The National Cheng-Chi University Culture Cup Departments Choral
Competition has the most extensive history. First held in 1968, the National Cheng-
Chi University competition helped establish an active choral culture on campus,
despite having no music department. Various campus departments organize choral
ensembles solely for the purpose of the competition. At its peak (2000–2015), the
competition featured 2,000 singers and over thirty departments, with every
department participating. Considering that most singers have never been in a choir
before, many departments invite professional choral conductors to coach their
ensembles. For the competition, each chorus is required to sing the school anthem
and a work of their choice. Many choirs select sophisticated music, further
enhancing the event's competitiveness. For example, the Department of Radio and
Television won the competition ten years in a row (1999–2008). Table 6 lists the
department's choice work for this competition.
17

17
Nieh Yen-Hsiang, "The Stage of Choral Conductor: Starting from Choir Competition," in 2009
Conducting Literature Symposium Essay Collection (Taipei: Fu Jen Catholic University Press, 2010),
63–90.
40
Table 2.3: Department of Radio and Television Choice Work in National Cheng-Chi
Universities Culture Cup Departments Choral Competition
Year Song Title Composer/Arranger
1999 The Snow Edward Elgar
2000 Alleluia Randall Thompson
2001 Muie Rendera arr. C.A. Pinto Fonseca
2002 Rosas Pandan arr. George Hernandez
2003 Ave Maris Stella Tornd Kverno
2004 Kasar Mie La Gaji Alberto Grau
2005 狩俣ぬくいちゃ (Karimatanu Kuicha) Ko Matsushita
2006 Kungala Stephen Leek
2007 Ametsetan Jarvier Busto
2008 Pamugun Francisco Feliciano

The National Cheng-Chi University Culture Cup Departments Choral
Competition also inspired some of their graduates to pursue choral music as their
career. For example, Nieh Yen-Hsiang graduated from the Department of Radio and
Television with a Bachelor of Arts degree, later pursuing a master's degree in choral
conducting at the Fu Jen Catholic University in 2007, and completed his doctoral
degree in choral music at the University of Southern California in 2023. Wang
Chung-An (b. 1993) graduated from the Department of Psychology and earned his
master's degree in choral conducting at the Fu Jen Catholic University in 2020. Lien
Fang-Pei (b. 1963) graduated from the Department of Sociology, went to the
University of Colorado to study choral literature and conducting, and received her
41
master's degree in 1993. After returning to Taiwan, she devoted herself to choral
music art and created a musical theater group. She has been the conductor of the
National Taiwan University since 2003, which is the most prestigious and largest
university chorus in Taiwan. One of Lien's chorus students, Huang Yu-Feng (b.
1986), was inspired by Lien as the assistant conductor of the chorus. After
graduating from the Department of Economics at the National Taiwan University,
Huang went to the Taiwan Normal University and was awarded a master's degree in
choral conducting in 2013. Later, he received his doctor's degree in choral
conducting at the University of Utah in 2021.

2d. Recent Trends in the Educational Institutions
In recent years, many Taiwanese conductors have been concerned by the
lowering of enrollments and participation in choral ensembles on campuses. One of
the primary issues can be seen in the declining birth rates, but another reason for
decreasing participation in choral ensembles are the revisions to the national
curriculum by the Ministry of Education. Parents, teachers, and students have begun
to focus on core subjects rather than extracurricular activities and after-school
clubs. As previously mentioned, the National Student Music Competition required all
schools to participate. However, in 2017 the competition eliminated this
requirement from the rules. The COVID-19 global pandemic further disrupted
choral activities in Taiwan. Many schools ended their support of the extracurricular
choirs due to a lack of singers. For example, the Chenggong Senior High School
Choir, which had achieved exceptional results in international choral competitions,
42
ended their school choir in 2021.
The concern for Taiwanese choral participation is evidenced in the
decreasing number of ensembles participating in student music competitions since
2001. Take for example the number of Taipei City ensembles participating in the
first round of the National Music Competition (Table 7, see below). At the height of
the competition in 2002, the total number of ensemble entries was 146.
Unfortunately, this number has steadily declined, dropping below 100 ensemble
entries in 2013 to an all-time low of 54 in 2022, with limited junior and senior high
school choir participation.

43
Table 2.4: Participating Choirs in the National Student Music Competition in Taipei
City from 2001 to 2022
Year
Elementary
School
Choir
Junior
High
School
Male
Choir
Junior
High
School
Female
Choir
Senior
High
School
Male
Choir
Senior
High
School
Female
Choir
Senior
High
School
Mixed
Choir
Tota
l
2001 76 3 40 2 6 10 137
2002 80 3 41 3 8 11 146
2003 68 5 34 4 10 10 131
2004 70 4 32 4 11 10 131
2005 74 7 29 4 9 11 134
2006 73 5 32 5 8 12 135
2007 67 4 26 4 9 11 121
2008 67 6 30 5 10 10 128
2009 74 2 28 3 10 10 127
2010 64 3 23 3 8 9 110
2011 63 2 23 3 8 7 108
2012 58 3 24 3 7 7 102
2013 57 3 22 3 8 4 97
2014 56 3 20 4 9 5 97
2015 52 2 17 4 8 4 87
2016 50 2 18 2 7 4 83
2017 54 3 19 2 6 3 87
2018 52 2 13 1 6 4 78
2019 50 2 14 1 3 4 74
2020 53 2 14 1 6 3 79
2021 40 0 8 0 5 2 55
2022 47 0 8 0 2 4 54

44
3. Choral Music in Community
Community choir activities are another important branch in Taiwanese
choral development and play an essential role in society. Choral music flourishes in
the community, with numerous choral organizations being established throughout
the country. They host concerts, participate in national or international choral
festivals, and invite choral music experts to give lectures and workshops.
Diversifying the choral music activities in community choirs have helped Taiwanese
choral music flourish in the twenty-first century. According to the governments'
public records, 492 community choirs and choral institutions are officially
registered with the Ministry of the Interior and the City/County's Cultural Affairs
Bureau (Table 8, see below). However, it should be noted that not all the community
choirs register with Taiwan’s government.

45
Table 2.5: Registered Community Choirs and Choral Institutions under the Ministry
of the Interior and the City/County’s Cultural Affairs Bureau
Ministry of the Interior/City/County Registered Choirs/Choral Institutions
Ministry of the Interior 8
Keelung City 18
New Taipei City 49
Taipei City 139
Taoyuan City 14
Hsinchu City 10
Hsinchu County 8
Miaoli County 3
Taichung City 57
Changhua County 14
Chiayi City 10
Chiayi County 2
Yunlin County 11
Nantou County 11
Tainan City 23
Kaohsiung City 75
Pingtung County 14
Yilan County 7
Hualien County 11
Taitung County 4
Penghu County 4
Kinmen County 0
Lienchiang County 0
Total 492

46
Taiwanese choirs enjoy participating in choral competitions because these
events provide the choir with an opportunity to improve their skills as an ensemble,
helping further the choir’s reputation. Also, many larger choral competitions
provide a cash prize for the winners, helping support the choir’s finances. Choral
competitions for community choirs did not exist until 1996 when the National Dr.
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall hosted the first National Chung-Shan Cup Choral
Competition. It soon became a popular community and school choir competition
with cash prizes.
18
The competition, unfortunately, ended in 2011. Taking its place
was the National Community Choirs Competition, hosted by the Ministry of Culture.
This competition is reserved explicitly for community choirs and features four
ensemble categories: Male Choir, Female Choir, Mixed Choir, and Senior Choir (over
fifty years of age).
19
There are two other choral competitions for community choirs:
the Taoyuan Choral Festival, which was founded in 2016, and the National Hakka
Choral Competition, first organized in 2016.
Community choirs have observed a unique phenomenon in recent years: the
aging population has led to more senior adults participating in choir. In 2019, the
Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education hosted the first
exclusively for Senior Choirs Choral Festival to encourage the participation of older
adults in the choir.

18
Ibid.
19
According to the competition rules, the minimum age of the senior choir category is fifty years old,
with a margin of 15% under-aged choristers allowed.
47
CHAPTER 3
“TAIWAN TOP” GRANT AND PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS

1. Introduction of the TAIWAN TOP
1
Annual Grant Program
Taiwan’s government substantially supports and fosters the arts through
various grant programs. Government organizations such as the Ministry of Culture
(MOC), National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF), and Cultural Bureaus of City
or County all offer grants. The most financially significant is the TAIWAN TOP
Annual Grant Program.
TAIWAN TOP is an annual grant program for the performing arts. The
program’s mission is to cultivate Taiwanese performing arts groups, helping these
ensembles maintain sustainable management and high-quality creative productions.
TAIWAN TOP’s groups are selected annually by the National Culture and Arts
Foundation (NCAF). It includes various performing arts into four categories: music,
dance, contemporary theater, and traditional opera. Every year, TAIWAN TOP
groups present over 7,500 national and international performances, reaching more
than two million people. Among the four categories, five organizations related to
choral music from the TAIWAN TOP in the music category will be discussed in this
chapter.
The government-supported performing arts groups fund can be traced back
to 1992 when the Council for Cultural Affairs (under the Executive Yuan) initiated

1
The official name of the grant is “TAIWAN TOP.”
48
the International Performing Arts Groups Cultivation Plan. Cultivating professional
art groups, the fund provided financial support for producing high-quality art. In
2012, the Taiwan government upgraded the Council for Cultural Affairs to the
ministerial level and named the Ministry of Culture (MOC) as the executor of
cultural affairs.
As a governmental grant, TAIWAN TOP has undergone several structural and
name changes. In 2019, the project was renamed to its current name, the TAIWAN
TOP Annual Grant Program, and provided diverse categories for groups to apply for
one-year, two-year, and three-year grants. Table 9 shows the chronological
evolution of the grant.
2

Table 3.1: Chronological Development of TAIWAN TOP Grant
Year Name
1992–1997 International Performing Arts Groups Cultivation Plan
1998–2000 Outstanding Performing Arts Groups Award Plan
2001–2007 Performing Arts Groups Cultivation Plan
2008–2018 Award-Classification of Performing Arts Groups
2019– TAIWAN TOP Annual Grant Program

2. Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education
In 1988, a group of music-loving entrepreneurs and musicians established
the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education to build a better

2
"TAIWAN TOP Performing Arts Group," National Culture and Arts Foundation, accessed December
1, 2022, https://taiwantop.ncafroc.org.tw/about.
49
music environment in Taiwan. In the beginning, the primary purpose of this
foundation was to support the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus (1972). It was the first
foundation to promote choral music and activities in Taiwan. The foundation
devotes itself to performing significant choral masterworks, premiering new works,
promoting Taiwanese choral culture, and collaborating with Taiwanese composers.
3

Initially starting with the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus (1972), the foundation
continuously added performance ensembles. The ensembles include the Taipei
Philharmonic Youth & Children’s Choir (1989), the Taipei Philharmonic Youth
Orchestra (1989), the Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir (1993), the Taipei
Philharmonic Youth Choir (2000), the Taipei Philharmonic Women’s Choir (2002),
the Taipei Philharmonic Theater (2003), the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Ensemble
(2006), the Taipei Philharmonic Youth String Ensemble (2006), the Taipei
Philharmonic Opera Studio (2009), the Taipei Philharmonic Civic Chorale (2015),
and the Women’s Choir of Taipei Philharmonic Civic Chorale (2015).
As the foundation developed, it became a comprehensive organization and Taiwan’s
most prominent musical foundation. Over the past thirty years, this foundation has
hosted hundreds of local and international artists and ensembles.
Dirk DuHei was appointed to his position as the music director and
conductor of the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus after he returned to Taiwan from the
United States in 1983. He was also the founding member and the artistic director of
the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education. His contributions as

3
"About," Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education (財團法人台北愛樂文教基金
會), accessed November 22, 2022, https://www.tpf.org.tw/zh-hant/about.
50
an educator and choral musician are highly regarded in Taiwan and worldwide. In
addition, his work was acknowledged with the first National Culture and Art Prize in
1997. To pursue exceptional choral art, the foundation formed a small ensemble
named the Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir in 1993 and drawn from singers
from the Philharmonic Chorus. In 2008, Ku Yu-Chung John (b. 1972) succeeded Dirk
DuHei as the choir conductor when he returned to Taiwan from the United States,
and Ku was named the music director of the foundation in 2012. As of 2022, Ku
serves as the Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir's conductor. The ensemble has
participated in major international choral events, further disseminating Taiwanese
spirit and choral culture to the world. Their previous international engagements
include the 6th World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis/St. Paul (USA) in
2006, and the American Choral Director Association National Convention in Chicago
in 2011.
A significant achievement of the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture
and Education was the establishment of the annual Taipei International Choral
Festival in 1996. Through masterclasses, workshops, lectures, a festival chorus, and
performances, participants and audiences are able to experience world-class
performances from international artists and choirs. Also, the choral festival
stimulates Taiwanese musicians and choral educators to explore new ideas and
repertoire through international cultural exchange. The Taipei Philharmonic
Foundation for Culture and Education also established the Taipei International
Choral Competition in 2018. It was the first international choral competition for
choirs in Taiwan's choral music history. However, it was canceled in 2020 due to the
51
global COVID-19 pandemic, and was held in an online version in 2021 and 2022.
The Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education has
published nine albums receiving several awards. These awards are listed in Table
10 (see below) and exclude albums that only received a nomination.

Table 3.2: The Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education Golden
Melody Album Awards
Album’s Name Year
Golden Melody Award and
Year
Image China
印象中國
1996
Best Performance
Best Producer,
Best Classical Album, 1997
The Maiden of Malan
台灣原住民組曲－馬蘭姑娘
1997 Best Composer, 1998
Buddhist Requiem
佛教涅槃曲－佛說阿彌陀經
2001
Best Composer,
Best Sacred Album, 2002
Zero– Classical Choral Works of Taiwan
世紀歸零－現代台灣合唱經典
2002
Best Performance
Best Composer,
Best Classical Album, 2003
Image Taiwan II
印象臺灣 II
2018 Best Performance, 2019

3. TMC Culture and Arts Foundation
The TMC Culture and Arts Foundation was founded in 2015 and integrated
seven choirs: the Taipei Male Choir (1998), the Taipei Youth Choir (2010), the TMC
Children’s Choir (2010), the Taipei Elegant Song Choir (2013), the Taipei Male
Singers (2014), the Shanghai TMC Chamber Choir (2014), and the Taipei Arts
52
Female Choir (2015). The first artistic director was Nieh Yen-Hsiang, followed by
Japanese composer and conductor Ko Matsushita (b.1962) in 2018. The
foundation’s mission is to establish a broad environment for choral music to flourish
and, as their motto says, “Sing with joy, love, and devotion.”
4
The current music
director is Hung Ching-Ying (b.1976), who started her position in 2018.
The original ensemble of the TMC Culture and Arts Foundation, the Taipei
Male Choir, first applied for the Performing Arts Groups Cultivation Plan in 2003.
The grant committee continuously selected them every year from 2003 to 2015. The
organization established additional choirs through this funding and the growing
popularity of the Taipei Male Choir. Ultimately in 2015, a long-time sponsor of the
organization gathered several supporters and created the TMC Culture and Arts
Foundation, which combined all the choirs under one foundation. Since 2016, the
foundation has been awarded funding from the TAIWAN TOP grant program until
now (2023).
The Taipei Male Choir is the most highly regarded ensemble of the TMC
Culture and Arts Foundation. It was founded in 1998 under director Tang Tien-Ming
(1968–2019), with all original members being alumni of the Taipei Chenggong High
School Choir. As one of the most prestigious Taiwanese male choirs of the early
twenty-first century, the Taipei Male Choir has received numerous achievements. In
2002, they won the champion of the male chamber choir category in the Choir
Olympics
5
in Busan, South Korea. It was the first Taiwanese choir to receive this

4
"About," TMC Culture and Arts Foundation ( 財團法人拉縴人文化藝術基金會), accessed November
14, 2022, http://www.tmccaf.org.tw/about.php?id=1.
5
"Competition Results," INTERKULTUR, accessed November 26, 2022,
53
high accolade on the world stage. After this success, the Taipei Male Choir applied in
the Performing Arts Groups Cultivation Plan and began to perform nationally and
internationally.
In 2008, the Taipei Male Choir welcomed its second artistic director, Nieh
Yen-Hsiang. He conducted the choir as they won the Grand Prix in the 25th
Takarazuka International Chamber Chorus Contest
6
(Osaka, Japan) in 2009 and the
champion of the male chamber choir category at the 6th Harmonie Festival
7

(Lindenholzhausen, Germany) in 2011. Also, the Taipei Male Choir has four albums,
released by the choir itself, Classic Produktion Osnabrück
8
, and Carus-Verlag. They
won several awards from the Golden Melody Awards. These awards are listed in
Table 11 (see below) and exclude albums that only received a nomination.

Table 3.3: Taipei Male Choir’s Albums awarded the Golden Melody Award
Album’s Name Year Golden Melody Award and Year
In Love with You
暗戀男聲
2006 Best Performance, 2007
A Thousand Winds– Contemporary A
Cappella Male Works
千縷清風－當代無伴奏男聲合唱
2011 Best Performance, 2012
Romantic Moments for Male Choir
浪漫男聲
2015
Best Performance
Best Engineered Recording,
2016
(Conducted by Frieder Bernus
and released by Carus-Verlag)

https://www.interkultur.com/results/.
6
"Takarazuka Chamber Choir Contest: History," Takarazuka Foundation for Culture Promotion,
accessed November 18, 2022, https://takarazuka-c.jp/ticc/ticc001.html.
7
"Harmonie-Festival 2011," accessed November 19, 2022, https://harmonie-
festival.de/bildergalerie/festival-2011/.
8
The record label is often referred to as “cpo,” in lowercase.
54
A significant event of the Taipei Male Choir was the Sea Project Concert
(2012), which celebrated the ensemble’s Fifteenth Anniversary. They commissioned
fourteen composers from thirteen countries to compose a new choral work on the
theme of the "sea." At the world premiere of these works in 2012, four of the
thirteen composers: Stephen Leek (b. 1959, Australia), Jacek Sykulski (b. 1964,
Poland), Damijan Močnik (b. 1967, Slovenia), and Ko Matsushita (Japan), each
conducted the Taipei Male Choir in the performance of their respective
commissions.
Penghu is an island territory of Taiwan with limited resources, especially in
terms of choral music support. In order to foster children's engagement in choral
music, the TMC Culture and Arts Foundation launched the annual Penghu Children
Choral Festival in 2013. The five-day festival established a music camp that
recruited approximately 120 to 150 singers from ages nine to fourteen. The mission
was to provide music and singing lessons for the children on the island and help
develop their musical and singing abilities. Since 2013, the number of singers
participating in the festival has now risen to over 1,000.

4. Taipei Chamber Singers
Founded in 1992, the Taipei Chamber Singers is one of Asia's most
prestigious mixed chamber choirs. During its first fifteen years, the ensemble has
won numerous European choral competitions, solidifying its identity as an
ensemble of excellence. The ensemble has demonstrated artistic excellence in
55
genres ranging from early music to contemporary works. Several conductors have
served as the ensemble’s artistic director, including Chen Yun-Hung, Liang Serene
Show-Ling, and Weng Chia-Fen, with Chen returning to the ensemble in 2006
through 2021.
The Taipei Chamber Singers were selected as a performing group for the
International Performing Arts Groups Cultivation Plan from 1996 to 2000 and from
2002 until today (2023). Beginning in 1996, the ensemble has competed in seven
international competitions, the most of any Taiwanese choral ensemble. These
competitions include the International Guido d’ Arezzo Polyphonic Competitions
(Arezzo, Italy, 1994), the International Competition of Choral Singing (Spittal,
Austria, 1995), the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (Llangollen, North
Wales, 1996), the Festival International de Música de Cantonigròs (Cantonigròs,
Spain, 2001), the "Seghizzi" International Choral Singing Competition (Italy, 2003),
the International Johannes Brahms Choir Competition (Wernigerode, Germany,
2005), and won the Grand Prix in 2006 at the Bela Bartok International Choir
Competition (Debrecen, Hungry). Following their win, the Taipei Chamber Singers
were invited to the Europe Grand Prix (EGP) and represented Taiwan in the
country’s first appearance at this prestigious competition. In addition, they were
invited to and performed at the 8th World Symposium on Choral Music in 2008
Copenhagen, Denmark.
The most unique feature of the Taipei Chamber Singers is the focus on the
representation of modern music. They have performed contemporary choral music
at several major festivals. In 2006, they launched the “Music Unlimited Program” to
56
collaborate with composers for commissioned works.
9
Their style includes a
cappella voices, chamber music, electronic music, experimental music, and modern
theater. The Taipei Chamber Choir has released thirteen albums, with multiple wins
at the Golden Melody Award. (Table 12)

Table 3.4: Taipei Chamber Singer’s Albums Awarded the Golden Melody Award
Album’s Name Year
Golden Melody Award and
Year
Utmost Utterance of The Time–
A Tribute to Contemporary Choral
Music
當代狂潮－當代合唱音樂作品集
2009
Best Composer
Best Performance, 2010
Sound in Silence–Classics of Sacred
Choral Music
寂靜之聲－經典聖樂合唱作品
2014
Best Producer
Best Performance, 2015
Yin– An unlimited passage
《䪩》—無設限的詩歌紀行
2020
Best Performance
Best Composer
Best Engineered Recording
Best Producer, 2021

The Taipei Chamber Choir is engaged in educational outreach and
established the "Taipei Chamber Choral Academy" (TCS Institute for Choral Arts),
which includes the TCS Women's Choir (1997), the TCS Singers (2009), the TCS 50s
Choir (2011), the TCS Women's Choir 2 (2013), the TCS Women's Choir 3 (2016),
and the TCS Women's Choir 4 (2017).

9
"About," Taipei Chamber Singers (台北室內合唱團), accessed November 24, 2022,
http://www.tcschoir.org.tw/about-us.
57
5. Formosa Singers
The Formosa Singers were founded in 1994 by artistic director Su Julian
Ching-Chun upon his return to Taiwan after earning his master's degree in choral
conducting at Westminster Choir College. The ensemble's most notable feature is its
dedication to preserving Taiwanese dialects such as Hakka and other indigenous
languages. Su accomplishes this goal by commissioning composers to arrange
Taiwanese folksongs and compose new choral works for the ensemble. In addition,
at least half of every concert performed by the Formosa Singers features Taiwanese
choral music. Invited International guest conductors also are asked to program
some Taiwanese music in their concerts. The collaborative pianist of the Formosa
Singers, Tsai Yu-Shan (b. 1962), has arranged over one hundred works for the
ensemble, thereby adding to the body of Taiwanese choral music.
Since 2002, the Formosa Singers have regularly been selected as one of the
recipients of the Performing Arts Groups Cultivation Plan until today (2023). The
Formosa Singers are also highly active in the recording and publishing industry.
Committed to fine choral artistry and promoting Taiwanese choral music, the
Formosa Singers has published through its own publishing house 415 songs and
twenty-seven albums in the past twenty years. Their albums have set the record for
most wins from the Golden Melody Award among Taiwanese choral ensembles.
Table 13 (see below) lists the ensemble's award-winning albums, excluding those
that only received nominations.

58
Table 3.5: Formosa Singers’ Albums awarded the Golden Melody Award
Album’s Name Year Golden Melody Award and Year
The Stars in Heaven
Chi–Jen Cheng’s Taiwanese Songs
【天頂的星】
鄭智仁台灣歌謠合唱作品
2001 Best Performance, 2002
Tyzen Hsiao’s Cantata: The Prodigal Son
浪子－蕭泰然清唱劇
2003 Best Composer, 2004
The Originality
I-To Loh’s Choral Music Collection
【源】駱維道合唱曲集
2005 Best Lyricist, 2005
What a Friend We Have is Jesus
台語聖詩專輯－至好朋友就是耶穌
2010 Best Sacred Album, 2011
Anton Armstrong & Formosa Singers
大師系列音樂會之四－宗教歌曲
2011 Best Sacred Album, 2012
To Be in Harmony with You
想欲彈同調台灣歌仔簿二
2014
Best Performance
Best Engineered Recording, 2015
Songs of the Land
Ching–Ju Shi's Choral Music
【土地的歌】石青如合唱作品
2016
Best Lyricist
Best Performance
Best Producer, 2017
Tyzen Hsiao's Memorial Concert Live
Recording
【默禱】
蕭泰然老師紀念音樂會錄音專輯
2019 Best Lyricist, 2020
Precious Lord, Take My Hand
【親愛主，牽我手】
新編台語聖詩之貳
2021 Best Performance, 2022

59
The ensemble’s artistic achievement has garnished with invitations to
perform at significant international events such as the 2015 International
Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) World Choral EXPO in Macao and the 2021
American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Convention.
As part of the educational outreach of the Formosa Singers, they began the
Taiwan Youth Festival Choir in 2006. The ensemble invites one or two international
guest conductors to lead the choir and tour in Taiwan each summer. The event
encourages younger choral singers to explore choral music. Based on the success of
this summer ensemble, the Formosa Youth Choir was formed in 2008, providing
young singers an opportunity to perform choral music regularly.

6. Müller Chamber Choir
Müller Chamber Choir is a thirty-voice male choir founded in 1999. The
ensemble's initial members were all Taipei Municipal Chien-Kuo High School alums.
Initially, the Müller Chamber Choir had difficulty maintaining a conductor. The
ensemble's first conductor was Yu Sen-Peng (b. 1970), led the ensemble for four
years, followed by Su Julian Ching-Chun from 2003 until 2009. Between 2010 to
2012, they employed several guest conductors, including Tang Tien-Ming, Tai Yu-
Yin (b.1980) , Ku Yu-Chung John, and Weng Chia-Fen, to collaborate with the choir.
In 2013 Peng Meng-Hsien (b. 1976) became the conductor, and the Müller Chamber
Choir continues to be very successful under her leadership.
The Müller Chamber Choir was selected to receive a Performing Arts Groups
60
Cultivation Plan grant from 2011 to 2013 and from 2016 to the present (2023). In
2015, the Müller Chamber Choir participated in the 9th International Johannes
Brahms Choir Festival and Competition in Germany and won the Grand Prix. The
following year, they traveled to Sochi, Russia, to join the 9th World Choir Games
2016. The choir received three gold medals. Most recently, the ensemble received an
invitation to perform at the 2019 American Choral Director Association National
Convention in Kansas City and the 2020 World Symposium on Choral Music in New
Zealand (canceled due to COVID-19).
10

The Müller Chamber Choir has promoted Tenor-Bass choral music for many
years. In 2011, they started a project called "Our Land, Our Songs,” commissioning
several composers to write new works for the choir. Today, the project features
over seventy commissions. To expand the choral music population, they founded a
new senior tenor-bass choir, “Müller Song-Bo Choir,” in 2019, consisting of singers
over 50 years old. Also, they formed a small ensemble, “Müller Singers,” in 2011 to
pursue and perform advanced male choral works. The Müller Chamber Choir has
published seven albums, with their album, Tribute to Love (2020), winning Best
Classical Album at the 32nd Golden Melody Awards (2021).

10
"Milestone," Müller Chamber Choir (木樓合唱團), accessed November 28, 2022,
https://www.muller.org.tw/milestone.
61
CHAPTER 4
DISSEMINATION OF TAIWANESE CHORAL MUSIC

Taiwanese conductors and choirs actively participate in choral activities to
promote Taiwanese choral music. The flourishment reflects in diverse choral music
events in Taiwan. On the other hand, Taiwanese choirs go abroad to present
Taiwanese choral music arts to bring the country's music and culture to the world.
Newly founded choral organizations and the development of the Taiwanese sheet
music industry also stimulate choral music outreach in Taiwan. This chapter will
discuss how the Taiwanese contribute to disseminating Taiwanese choral music
nationally and internationally.

1. Choral Festivals and Events in Taiwan

1a.Taipei International Choral Festival
The first international choral festival in Taiwan's choral music history,
occurred in 1991 and was held under the auspices of the Council for Cultural Affairs
(under the Executive Yuan). Eighteen international choirs and twenty-four
Taiwanese choirs participated in this festival. The event was held from April 14 to
June 23, with international choirs performing sixty-nine concerts. These
international choirs not only performed in the National Concert Hall in Taipei and
the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Kaohsiung but also toured numerous cities in
62
Taiwan. The festival also featured eight choral conductor workshops and seventeen
exchange concerts by invited Taiwanese choirs.
The festival gained considerable success and positively impacted the
development of Taiwanese choral music. Although many choirs and conductors
have asked the government to continue the choral festival, the event only occurred
once. The changing cultural policy enacted by three different Council for Cultural
Affairs chairpersons from 1991 to 1996 is perhaps the most significant reason for
the single festival’s occurrence. The Taiwan government budget is submitted
annually, while international events require two to three years of planning. In 1996,
the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education took leadership of
the Taipei International Choral Festival seeing the need to fill this void.
1
The change
of the foundation’s responsibility to host and plan the TICF marks the first time a
non-government organization hosted a choral festival.
Initially, the Taipei International Choral Festival was held biennially (1996,
1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006). During alternate years from 1999–2007, there
was a minor festival, the Taipei Summer Festival, also hosted by the Taipei
Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education, in which a small number of
international performing groups participated.
Due to the changes in the choral environment and the growth of choral music

1
In 1991, the government-hosted festival used「台北國際合唱節」in Chinese as the name, and the
Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education used 「台北國際合唱音樂節」as their
Chinese festival name in 1996. The festival should be translated into "Taipei International Choral
Music Festival" for their event. However, the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and
Education took the same "Taipei International Choral Festival" as their official English name for the
festival.
63
in the public sector, the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education
held the Taipei International Choral Festival annually, beginning in 2008. The eight
to ten-day festival features several sessions which allow the choral music lover to
enhance their knowledge through various activities. These activities include:
2

I. Performances:
● Classical Concert (including the Opening and Closing concerts)
● Noon Concerts (organized by the host in hospitals, parks, and metro
stations)
● Touring Concerts (outside Taipei City)
● Friendship Concert (musical exchange between international and
local choirs)
● Masterclass Concert (conducting masterclass participants perform in
the final concert)
II. Workshops
Workshops for choral musicians included:
● participation in a festival choir performance of a major work
● rehearsal observations
● choral lectures
● voice lessons
● conducting masterclass

2
Li Yu-Chen, "A Study on Taipei International Choral Festival, 1991-2013" (master thesis, National
Sun Yat-sen University, 2014), 35–44.
64
For over twenty years, the Taipei International Choral Festival has
established its reputation as Asia's most prominent choral festival.
3
Since 1998, the
Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education has held twenty-six
festivals, including four Taipei Summer Festivals in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2007. As
the largest choral organization in Taiwan, the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for
Culture and Education has the ability to invite the most prominent international
choirs and conductors to Taiwan, greatly benefiting the country’s choral music
development.
In 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was held but excluded
any international choir participation, featuring only Taiwanese ensembles. Due to
the continuing pandemic and government restrictions, the 2021 festival
transitioned to an online format. In 2022, the festival welcomed back its first
international choir in three years, the University of Mindanao Chorale from the
Philippines, to perform at the festival.
The Taipei International Choral Festival has two important components that
happen simultaneously. Choirs can sign up to participate in the international choral
competition adjudicated by a jury of renowned conductors from around the world.
Alternatively, ensembles can participate in the choral festival, sharing their
programming without being adjudicated.
4
When the festival initially began in 1996,
an essential component was the festival chorus composed of only Taiwanese
choristers from 1996 to 2004. The festival gradually gained notoriety and became a

3
Ibid, 67
4
Ibid, 61–62.
65
prominent festival in Asia and the world. In 2005 the festival chorus included
choristers worldwide. Except for the invited international choirs and conductors,
there was also, for the first time, an international participant in the festival chorus.
With its growing reputation the festival chorus continues to attract an increasing
number of international choral singers.
5
In 2008, the Leisure and Cultural Services
Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
began sending an official representative to participate in and observe this festival
annually.
6
Through this festival, the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and
Education has established a platform to promote choral music in Asia, a significant
milestone in Taiwanese music development.

1b. Cheer Formosa International Choral Festival
The music organization Cheer Music (now defunct) hosted the first Cheer
Formosa International Choral Festival in 2000. The central location of this festival
was Penghu, an outlying island in Taiwan. The artistic director of Cheer Music, Hung
Chyilin (1956–2015), believed Penghu's geographic location was suitable for a
choral festival and was able to collaborate with the Penghu County Government.
There were five international choirs invited to this festival, including the American
Boychoir (USA), the Moran Choir Beit Yitzhak (Israel), the Cor de Cambra Lluis Vich
of Valencia (Spain), the Chorus Sine Nomine (Austria), and the Philippine Madrigal
Singers (Philippines). The organizer arranged for all the choirs to perform in the

5
Ibid, 57.
6
Ibid.
66
Penghu County Auditorium, as well as tour several cities in Taiwan.
The Cheer Formosa International Choral Festival format was similar to the
Europa Cantat Festival. The seven-day festival (August 10–16) included concerts,
workshops, conducting masterclasses, and lectures. Also, the festival closing concert
featured all the participants singing in a massed choir. There was an open sing each
morning, led by the festival’s guest conductor, Robert Sund (b. 1942) from Sweden,
to rehearse the songs which were to be sung in the closing concert. The most unique
features of this festival were the Tai Chi and physical movement training sessions
that occurred each morning,
7
and the organizer’s request that the international
choirs perform one Taiwanese folk arrangement in the program.
8

The second Cheer Formosa International Choral Festival was planned in
2003, but the event was canceled because of the SARS pandemic. The festival
returned to Penghu again from July 18–24, 2005. Again, Sund served as the guest
conductor. The five international choirs were: The Collegium Musicum-Belgrade
(Serbia), the San Beda College Chorale (Philippines), the Children's Chorus Cantors
Divisi (Spain), the Pilgrim Mission Choir (South Korea), and the Dekoor Close
Harmony (Netherlands).
A local choir joined each day's concert to promote the Penghu choirs,
performing a fifteen-minute concert set. The festival’s schedule was similar to the
2000 festival. However, the entire festival overlapped with the 2005 International
Choral Festival (July 17–24, 2005) hosted by the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation

7
Lin I-Chieh, "International Choral Festival in Taiwan, 1991-2010," (PhD diss, National Taiwan
Normal University, 2014), 287.
8
Ibid, 282.
67
for Culture and Education in Taipei. Due to the conflict, participants and patrons
could only attend one of the festivals.

1c. International Male Voices Festival
The Taipei Male Choir (TMC) is one of Taiwan's most prestigious male choirs.
The ensemble spent over twenty years developing the high-quality and delicate art
of male choral music. In 2015 the TMC established the TMC Culture and Art
Foundation, which includes seven choirs, with the TMC serving as its premiere
ensemble. In 2017, the foundation hosted the International Male Voices Festival in
Taiwan to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Taipei Male Choir. This event
marked the first time an international choral festival focused on the male (TTBB)
choral singing in Asia.
9

Three international professional choirs were invited to the event: The Die
Singphoniker from Germany, the Cantus Vocal Ensemble from the United States, and
the Purple Voice from the United Kingdom. The Taipei Male Choir has a well-
established relationship with the Die Singphoniker. The Taipei Male Choir invited
Die Singphoniker to tour Taiwan in 2010, 2012, and 2014. In addition, in 2011, the
two choirs performed a joint concert in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2014, the Ministry of
Culture Republic of China (Taiwan) sponsored and recorded an album with the two
ensembles in Taipei, Taiwan and published by Classic Produktion Osnabrück.
The International Male Voices Festival included five concerts, four in the

9
Chiang Chao-Lun, "Outstanding Ensembles from the US, British, and Germany Gather in Taiwan to
Celebrate TMC's 20th Anniversary (美英德重唱天團齊聚寶島賀拉縴人20週年)," Radio Taiwan
International, September 27, 2017, https://www.rti.org.tw/news/view/id/371083.
68
National Concert Hall in Taipei and one in the National Opera House in Taichung
with the Die Singphoniker and the Purple Voices performing. At the closing concert,
the TMC performed during the first half, and all four choirs premiered Japanese
composer Ko Matsushita's new work "Te Deum" for male choir (TTBB), organ, and
percussion in the second half. The composer conducted the premier. After the
concert, the TMC Culture and Art Foundation announced that Ko Matsushita had
been appointed the new artistic director replacing the TMC’s founding director, Nieh
Yen-Hsiang, who had stepped down to pursue doctoral studies in the United States.

1d. Taiwan Ensemble Competition/ Taiwan International Contemporary A
Cappella Festival
To encourage choral singing, the New Choral Foundation and the Taiwan
Choral Music Center began the Taiwan Ensemble Competition in 2001. Twenty-
seven groups joined the competition, with a maximum ensemble size of sixteen
singers. In 2002, the second Taiwan Ensemble Competition was divided into two
categories: Ensemble (maximum of sixteen singers) and Vocal Group (max of eight
singers with microphones). As the event continued to gain popularity, it
transitioned to international competition, changing its name in 2005 to the Taiwan
International A Cappella Festival. The competition featured two rounds for the vocal
group category: the first round was the national contest, and the second round was
the international contest. The host invited two international vocal groups, "Niniwe"
and "The Real Six Pack," who participated in the international round and competed
with the winners from the national contest round in the vocal group category. Two
69
international choral specialists, Günther Theuring (1930–2016) from Austria and
Michele Weir from the United States, served as competition jurors and provided
lectures during the festival.
In 2008, the competition was formally renamed the Taiwan International
Contemporary A Cappella Festival. This competition was exclusively for the vocal
group (with microphone) category, excluding the ensemble category. The festival
features a variety of performances, styles, and activities, mainly focusing on vocal
jazz, and has frequently featured Japanese vocal percussionist Kaichiro Kitamura (b.
1974) as a guest presenter. In 2018, a children’s category was added to the
competition to inspire young singers to engage in contemporary a cappella music.
From 2020–2022, COVID-19 limited the contest to the national level, excluding the
international rounds of the competition.
The International A Cappella Competition in Graz (Austria), the most
significant contemporary a cappella festival in Europe, has partnered with the
Taiwan International Contemporary A Cappella Festival. Each year they send
champion groups to the other’s competition and offer free accommodation for the
ensemble.

1e. Taipei International Choral Competition
Taiwanese choirs enjoy participating in choral competitions to evaluate their
ensemble’s abilities. Unfortunately for Taiwanese choirs, the first international
choral competition in Taiwan did not occur until 2018, forcing ensembles to travel
abroad to compete. The Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education
70
hosted the first-ever Taipei International Choral Competition in 2018.
The first competition appealed to fifty choirs from ten countries that
competed in eight categories: A1: Children Choir, A2: Youth Choir, A3: Senior Choir;
B1: Male Choir, B2 Female Choir, B3: Mixed Choir; and C1: Musica Sacra,
10
C2:
Ethnic/Traditional Music.
11
There were ten international jurors for this competition.
Each category winner performed a second ten-minute set in the Final Grand Prix for
the competition's top prize.
In 2019 there were still eight categories; however, some of the categories
were adjusted. The Male Choir and Female Choir categories combined into Equal
Voice Choir, and Contemporary Music was added as a category.
Due to COVID-19, the Taipei International Choral Competition was canceled
in 2020 and transitioned to an online format in 2021 and 2022. In the upcoming
competition 2023, the Equal Voice Choir category was again separated into Male
Choir and Female Choir. In addition, the competition introduced three new
categories: Vocal Ensemble, Taiwanese Compositions, and Virtual Choir setting.
The Taipei International Choral Competition allied with three other
international choral competitions to create the World Choral Championship (Table
14). For this competition, the top winner from each respective contest is invited to
compete again the following year for the championship. The World Choral
Championship is held each year, with the four participating countries taking turns
hosting the competition.

10
"Musica Sacra" means sacred music in Italian.
11
According to the competition rules, category A is by age, category B is by voicing, and category C is
by music type.
71
Table 4.1: World Choral Championship Alliance
Competition City, Country
International Krakow Choir Festival Cracovia Cantans Krakow, Poland
Tokyo International Choir Competition Tokyo, Japan
Taipei International Choral Competition Taipei, Taiwan
Rimini International Choral Competition Rimini, Italy

2. Taiwanese Choirs Abroad
Taiwanese choirs are fond of participating in international events, festivals,
and competitions because it provides the participant the opportunity to engage on a
global platform. Before the twenty-first century, only a few Taiwanese choirs went
abroad for international choral events. Along with the increase in the convenience of
international tours, attending international events has become popular over the
past twenty years. It allows choirs from different cultures to build friendships with
other choral groups worldwide. Through the preparation process of high-intensity
rehearsals, the choirs can increase their musical and vocal abilities at the required
levels for international competition. Taiwanese choirs can disseminate their choral
culture by performing or singing music, either folksong arrangements or works
composed by Taiwanese composers. Participating in international choral events has
fostered the dissemination of Taiwanese choral music development, especially on
the world stage. Additionally, the opportunity to sing Taiwanese music has helped
preserve its cultural identity, including the aboriginal languages and music. Many
international choral ensembles require an application process, including video or
72
audio footage of the choir, to achieve an invitation to compete. When provided the
chance to present the music of Taiwan, it helps foster and promote the choral
culture of the Island.

2a. Choir Olympics (World Choir Games)
In 2000, the largest choral competition in the world, the Choir Olympics
(renamed the World Choir Games in 2006), was held for the first time in Linz,
Austria. It was held by the INTERKULTUR, a non-profit organization from Germany,
and appealed to 342 choirs from sixty countries who competed in twenty-eight
categories.
12
This event also marked the first time several Taiwanese choral
ensembles competed in the same international choral competition. However, due to
the politics between Taiwan and China, the Taiwanese ensembles were required to
compete as Chinese Taipei instead of Taiwan as their country's name.
13
The Choir
Olympics consist of two rounds: the qualifying round and the final round. Ensembles
must receive a gold diploma in the qualifying round to compete in the final round.
Choirs that have received an award from any other international choral competition
could immediately compete in the final round. The Taiwanese choirs that
participated in the Choir Olympics in 2000 included:
● Taipei Success Children's Choir
● Taipei Hua-Shin Children's Chorus

12
"Competition Results," INTERKULTUR, accessed November 26, 2022,
https://www.interkultur.com/results/.
13
China claims Taiwan as part of China and does not allow Taiwan to use its name in any official
international organization. Therefore, Taiwan must use Chinese Taipei as established by the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) following the IOC Nagoya resolution of 1979. Because this
competition uses "Olympics" in its name, it follows the principles of the IOC.
73
● Dali Children ́s Chorus
● Century Children's Choir
● Taiwan Cantabile Chamber Choir Mixed Vocal Ensembles
● Taipei Century Choir

Among the six Taiwanese choirs, two choirs placed in the final round. The
Taipei Century Choir received a gold medal in the mixed chamber choir category
and a silver medal in the Folklore a cappella category. The Taipei Success Children's
Choir received the silver medal in the children's choir category.
The Choir Olympics are held every two years in different host cities. In 2002,
the competition moved to Asia in Busan, South Korea. At the event, 288 choirs from
forty-eight countries competed in twenty-five categories. Five Taiwanese choirs
who attended the event included the Da-Yuan Primary School Choir, the Taipei
Success Children's Choir, the Praise Singers Choir, the Feng-Yo Chorus, and the
Taipei Male Choir. Among them, the Taipei Male Choir not only received three gold
medals in the male chamber choir, the musica sacra a cappella, and the folk music a
cappella categories but was named champion of the male chamber choir category,
marking the first Taiwanese choral ensemble had won a championship in the Choir
Olympics.

2b. World Symposium on Choral Music (WSCM)
The International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) was founded in 1982,
aiming to accelerate choral musicians' communication and exchange worldwide.
74
The five major choral organizations co-created this organization, including the
American Choral Directors Association (USA), the A Coeur Joie International
(France), the European Choral Association — Europa Cantat (Europe), the Japan
Choral Association (Japan), and the Nordisk Korforum NKF (Scandinavia).
A significant contribution to choral art by IFCM was the creation of the World
Symposium on Choral Music (WSCM). Every three years, this ten-day event brings
the finest choirs and choral leaders to the organizing city’s country for
performances, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, and choral reading sessions. Both
world and regional symposia promote artistic excellence, cooperation, and exchange
through the high-level creative platform. For each symposium, the artistic
committee selects twenty to thirty choirs, including the host country, to perform.
The IFCM has held eleven world symposia in fourteen cities over the past
twenty-five years. In the twenty-five-year history of the symposium, seven
Taiwanese choirs have been invited to perform at six symposia (including the
upcoming 2023 WSCM in Turkey). Table 15 shows Taiwanese participation in the
WSCM since 1987.

75
Table 4.2: Taiwanese Participation in the World Symposium on Choral Music
(WSCM)
Year Host City/Country Taiwanese Participation
1987 Vienna
1990
Stockholm, Sweden
Helsinki, Finland
Tallinn, Estonia

1993 Vancouver, Canada
1996 Sydney, Australia
Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Lecture of Taiwanese choral music/
Dirk DuHei
1999 Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2002 Minneapolis, USA Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir
2005 Kyoto, Japan
Session: Pasibutbut as a Harmonic Overtone
Prayer Song/ Wu Rong-Shun

Formosa Singers
Taipei Male Choir
Attend the off-symposium concert series
“Orbit Concerts”
2008 Copenhagen, Denmark
Taipei Chamber Singers
Lecture of Taiwanese choral music/ Chen
Yun-Hung
2011 Puerto Madryn, Argentina
2014 Seoul, South Korea
2017 Barcelona, Spain
2020
Auckland, New Zealand
(Canceled due to Covid-19
pandemic)
Müller Chamber Choir
2023 Istanbul, Turkey
Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Reading Session/ Ku Yu-Chung John

76
2c. American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Conference
The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conference is another
important international event. ACDA was founded in 1959 by thirty-five choral
conductors from around the United States. ACDA is a national organization that
promotes choral music excellence through workshops, symposia, choral program
exchanges, and international efforts. Between 1960 and 1970, the ACDA conference
was held in conjunction with the National Association for Music Education
conference. In 1971, ACDA hosted its first independent national conference in
Kansas City, Missouri.
Since then, the national conference has been held every two years, with
regional conferences being held in alternate years.
14
The ACDA conference offers
reading sessions, interest sessions, panel discussions, and concert sessions.
Even though the conference is a national event in the United States, it appeals
to choral conductors, educators, and music lovers worldwide. The first international
choir performed at the national conference in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1973. In
recent years, international choirs have regularly been invited to perform at national
or regional conferences. Taiwanese choirs have been invited to the ACDA national
conference three times (Table 16).

14
ACDA is divided into six geographic regions: Midwestern, Northwestern, Southern, Southwestern
and Western Region.
77
Table 4.3: Taiwanese Choral Ensemble Participation in the ACDA Conference
Year Host City/State Taiwanese Choral Ensemble
2011
National Conference, Chicago,
Illinois
Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir,
Conductor: Ku Yu-Chung John
2019
National Conference, Kansas City,
Missouri
Müller Chamber Choir,
Conductor: Peng Meng-Hsien
2021 National Virtual Conference
Formosa Singers,
Conductor: Su Julian Ching-Chun

One significant milestone for Taiwanese composers occurred at the 2022
ACDA Western Region Conference when Nieh Yen-Hsiang's Taiwanese aboriginal
arrangement, "Cina," was selected as one of the winners of the "Call for Scores"
project. Nieh presented his work in the reading session: "Emerging Western Region
Composers," disseminating Taiwanese folk music to an American audience.
The ACDA conference has existed for an additional sixteen years longer than
the World Symposium on Choral Music (WSCM). However, only three Taiwanese
choirs have performed at ACDA, while seven have performed at WSCM. As an
American entity, ACDA started as the "national" event in the United States, only
inviting a few international choirs to perform at the conference. In 2009, When the
Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education hosted the Taipei
International Choral Festival, the University of North Texas A Cappella Choir was
one of the invited international choirs. The conductor of this choir, Jerry McCoy,
encouraged the Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir to apply for the ACDA national
conference's performance. The Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir received an
78
invitation, making it the first Taiwanese choir to perform at ACDA in 2011.
In contrast to the ACDA conference, Taiwanese choirs have a direct
connection to IFCM through Dirk DuHei, artistic director of the Taipei Philharmonic
Foundation for Culture and Education, who served as Taiwan’s representative to the
IFCM for many years. It provided Taiwanese choirs with direct access to IFCM
information. Also, the WSCM selects twenty to thirty ensembles worldwide to
perform, giving Taiwanese choirs a better chance of being selected.

3. Taiwan Choral Organization

3a. New Choral Foundation and Taiwan Choral Music Center (TCMC)
Twelve years after the creation of the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for
Culture and Education, a second Taiwanese foundation serving choral music was
formed.
15
The New Choral Foundation was established in 2000 by Chu Yuan-Lei (b.
1954) and a group of idealistic and passionate friends. The New Choral Foundation
aims to promote and develop choral music in Taiwan through life-long education,
promoting choral performance, and preserving Taiwanese choral history.
Chu Yuan-Lei served as the board chairman for six years, solidifying the New
Choral Foundation. Chu also serves as the artistic director of the pop and jazz
division. At the same time, his wife, Chen Yun-Hung, another notable Taiwanese
choral conductor, was the chief executive officer and artistic director of the choral

15
The Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education was founded first in 1988.
79
music division.
While the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation and the TMC Culture and Art
Foundation focus on choral ensembles, the New Choral Foundation does not focus
on choral ensembles. The New Choral Foundation has a subsidiary branch, the
Taiwan Choral Music Center (TCMC). The TCMC is a non-profit organization
dedicated to four areas: “contemporary a cappella,” “educational outreach,” “Taiwan
modern nursery rhymes,” and “new choral art music.”
The TCMC provides multiple educational workshops for choral music
outreach. Choral music reading lessons and choir exchange concerts help encourage
people to develop their abilities in choral music. Lectures on analyzing and
interpreting the national choir competition's compulsory works, conducting classes,
and workshops inspire choral educators to develop their professional skills. Also,
through their focus on vocal ensembles, the foundation hosts an annual spring vocal
festival, the Taiwan International Vocal Festival. In 2010, the TCMC fostered an a
cappella group of visually impaired singers, "The Blinders," and started vocal
programs for people with disabilities and seniors over age 50. In 2014, the TCMC
launched the Children's Singing Competition and Promotion Concert to promote
Taiwan's modern nursery rhymes.

3b. Taiwan Choral Association
Prior to the beginning of the twenty-first century, Taiwanese choral
associations were practically non-existent. The existing associations were created to
serve a specific limited purpose rather than a continuous functioning platform. In
80
2013, a group of choral conductors founded the Taiwan Choral Association, the first
formal choral association in Taiwan. The mission of this association was to integrate
local and international choral conductors as a form of choral art outreach, provide a
platform for choral conductors and educators for research, and promote the
Taiwanese choral music culture nationally and internationally.
The first founding chairman was a vocalist, Sun Ching-Chi (b. 1957), who
built a strong base for this association but served for only three years. In 2016, the
second chairman was Professor Weng Chia-Fen, who guided and fostered the
development of the association. As the first Taiwanese conductor with a DMA in
choral music, Weng dedicated herself to giving impetus to Taiwanese choral music
and built her reputation on choral music education in Taiwan. In 2000, Weng began
to teach graduate school in the Department of Music at the National Taiwan Normal
University in Taipei in an adjunct role.
Currently, the Taiwan Choral Association maintains over 100 members, most
of whom are choral conductors. As the Taiwan Choral Association continues to
expand, Weng seeks to encourage all those who love choral music to join, as well as
develop a high-quality social organization that cooperates with the Ministry of
Culture to promote "globalization" and "internationalization" and balance the gap
between urban and rural areas.
16

In 2018, the Taiwan Choral Association launched a monthly choral music
series featuring lectures from national and international experts on choral

16
"About," Taiwan Choral Association, accessed December 25, 2022,
https://www.taiwanchoral.org/about-tca.
81
conducting, practical exercise, experience sharing, repertoire exploration, and new
choral music information. Also, the association hosted a composition competition in
2018 to promote the production of choral music by Taiwanese composers.

3c. Chorus Taiwan
Throughout the development of choral music in Taiwan, resources have most
often been concentrated in northern Taiwan. For example, Taipei City, Taiwan's
capital and government center, and two neighboring cities, New Taipei City and
Taoyuan, comprise approximately forty-three percent of Taiwan's population. There
are many performing centers in Taipei, including the National Concert Hall. Also,
two art universities and three universities offering choral conducting graduate
programs are in Taipei. In 2013 to balance the disparity in musical resources, a
group of choral enthusiasts and those dedicated to promoting choral education
founded Chorus Taiwan in Taichung, located in the west-central region of Taiwan.
Under the direction of artistic director Yang I-Chen (b. 1975), Chorus Taiwan is
currently (as of 2022) the largest choral education organization in Taiwan. Yang
earned her master's degree in choral conducting at the Westminster Choir College
(USA) in 2008. Upon her return to Taiwan, Yang started her position as the artistic
director of the Taichung Chamber Choir in 2009. Yang has developed a reputation
for excellence with the Taichung Chamber Choir and has bonded well with the local
government and the general public. She expanded her influence by contributing to
choral music education and choral singing in the central part of the country of
Taiwan.
82
Chorus Taiwan adheres to the spirit of "service, inheritance, and
innovation,"
17
unremitting in their efforts to promote and cultivate choral music,
holding nearly twenty lectures annually. When asked about the purpose of Chorus
Taiwan, artistic director Yang identified the following four areas.
I. Music Teacher Empowerment:
Chorus Taiwan provides on-site and online learning platforms to cultivate
general education for choral conductors and teachers. There are at least two
courses per month, and the content includes "development of choral music,"
"conducting skills," "teaching practice," "voice development," "body
development," and "joint music preparation for elementary and middle
school level." Experienced lecturers teach educational skills to participants.
During the pandemic, Chorus Taiwan began and launched an online video
teaching service.
II. Expansion of Choral Repertoire:
Chorus Taiwan has been actively promoting the concept of copyright,
encouraging the purchase of sheet music for all singers in a choir. Chorus
Taiwan has invited professional teachers to introduce composition in various
languages, allowing conductors to connect with choral music worldwide,
broaden their international horizons, and increase their repertoire
knowledge. In addition, Chorus Taiwan held lectures to analyze the
compulsory works of the national choral competition helping conductors in
their preparation and interpretation of these compositions.

17
Yang I-Chen, Facebook message to author, December 1, 2022.
83
III. Summer Children's Choir Camp
The camp fosters the development of choral music education and encourages
the younger generation in singing. Chorus Taiwan has hosted the most
extensive, short-term camp (including chorus, dancing, reading, and team-
building games) every summer since 2013. It is the largest choral music
summer camp in the central region of Taiwan.
IV. Taichung A Cappella Festival
In 2015, Chorus Taiwan began hosting the annual Taichung A Cappella
Festival. At this outdoor festival, younger a cappella groups are invited to
perform. A portion of the festival emphasizes "renewing the old songs,"
where each ensemble rearranges domestic and foreign popular songs, which
helps to connect with audiences by using familiar music. Through the work of
this festival, a cappella music has greatly expanded in central Taiwan.
18

5. Sheet Music Industry
The degree of development of choral music is highly correlated with the
accessibility of choral scores. In the early years, choral sheet music was challenging
to purchase. With only a few possible bookstore retailers provided ordering services
for choral music, namely Talu Book (1938), China Music Book House (1976–2022),
and Taipei Musiker House (2002). These music distributors displayed diverse
categories (keyboard, instrumental, guitar, pop, etc.) of sheet music on the shelves,

18
Ibid.
84
but with choral music representing only a very small portion of the store's products.
Recently, through technological advancements, choral musicians can view and
purchase choral scores worldwide as licensed PDFs online. In addition, as of 1999,
with the repeal of the Publications Law, Taiwanese citizens can now publish their
works. Taiwanese choral groups, institutions, organizations, and individuals have
begun to publish more choral music in Taiwan, whether in PDF downloadable
format or printed versions. This has supported the dissemination of Taiwan’s choral
music.
In 2016, the choral music company, Pana Musica International, established a
branch in Taiwan with offices in the National Concert Hall in Taipei, with a second
branch in Kaohsiung (south Taiwan) in 2021. The company has dramatically
increased the Taiwanese choral ensemble's access to scores and information. Lin
Chun-Lung (b. 1976) serves as Pana Musica International's chairman, in addition to
the Chief Executive Officer of the TMC Culture and Art Foundation. Lin did not major
in music but is passionate about choral music. In 2013, he left his job at the German
Institute of Taipei and moved to Japan. Lin worked as an international affairs
manager at Pana Musica Corporation Limited, Asia's largest choral music publisher.
He returned to Taiwan in 2016 to build the branch of Pana Musica in Taipei.
Pana Musica International set a milestone in developing Taiwanese choral
music history as Taiwan's first specialized choral music shop. Also, Lin made many
efforts to advocate and educate the concept of music copyright in which all
ensemble singers must have original scores rather than photocopies adhering to
international copyright law. Before the twenty-first century, Taiwanese choirs
85
usually made photocopies by purchasing a single copy of original sheet music,
resulting in the loss of royalty income for the composers and arrangers. In response,
Pana Musica set minimum order requirements for sheet music sales. Through these
actions, composers were enticed to create and publish new works knowing they
would now, hopefully, receive fair royalty payments from their music sales. Even
though Pana Musica International acts primarily as a distributor of choral music,
they have also helped stimulate sheet music production by releasing scores by
organizations, choirs, and self-publishers.

86
CHAPTER 5
SIGNIFICANT TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY TAIWANESE CHORAL
COMPOSERS AND ARRANGERS

This chapter aims to acquaint the reader with representative twenty-first-
century Taiwanese composers and arrangers. Composers were selected based on
their compositional output, the popularity of scores, and notoriety among
Taiwanese choral professionals. The composers are listed chronologically according
to birth year. A selected list of choral works by these composers appears in
Appendix A.

1. Chien Nan-Chang (b. 1948)
Chien Nan-Chang was born in Jiangsu, China and moved to Taiwan at the age
of one. His passion for music became apparent after performing in a radio station's
children's choir. Observing this passion, his mother enrolled him in piano lessons.
Chien received his bachelor's degree in piano from the Chinese Culture University in
1970. While at Chinese Culture University, Chien studied composition with
Professor De-Yi Liu (1929–1991). In 1973, Chien traveled abroad to study
composition under Professor Wilhelm Killmayer (1927–2017) at Hochschule für
Musik, München. Chien returned to Taiwan to teach at the Chinese Culture
University in 1978. He later returned to Germany to pursue further education with
Killmayer in 1984. In 1989, he was appointed to teach music theory and
composition at the Taipei National University of the Arts until his retirement in
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2013.
Chien continues to be a prolific composer, with his first works released in
1974. His catalog contains hundreds of compositions, including nine large
compositions for chorus and orchestra. His compositional style combines western
and traditional Taiwanese elements. Chien believed a composer should never
compose to please the surrounding culture but instead adapt to some trends and
resist others.
1
Throughout his career, Chien significantly contributed to Taiwan's
musical development by training the next generation of composers and music
educators.
2

Recognized by the Taiwanese community as an outstanding composer, Chien
has received numerous national prizes. These awards include the National Awards
for Arts (2005), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chinese Writers' &
Artists' Association (2008), and the Wusanlien Arts Awards in music (2021). Chien
is also a five-time recipient of the Best Composer award at the Golden Melody
Awards (Table 17).

1
Nan-Chang Chien and Mei-Chen Lai, Nanfeng yuechang: Chien Nan-Chang de tsuochiu rensheng
(Nan-Chang Chien’s Biography), (Taipei: Rye Field Publications, 2007),198.
2
Chu Szu-Yu, "A Study Guide of the Taiwanese Composer, Nan-Chang Chien, and his Four Aboriginal
Lieder for Soprano and Orchestra," (DMA diss., Ohio University, 2014), 57.
88
Table 5.1: Chien Nan-Chang’s Golden Melody, Best Composer Awards
Year Composition Title Scoring
1997
Beat the Drum
擊鼓
Percussion
1998
A Suite of Taiwanese Aboriginal Folksongs-
The Maiden of Mala
台灣原住民組曲－馬蘭姑娘
Mixed Chorus and
Orchestra
2002
Buddhist Requiem
佛教涅槃曲－佛說阿彌陀經
Mixed Chorus and
Orchestra
2005
Symphony No. 1: “When the Bugle Starts”
第一號交響曲：號聲響起
Orchestra
2016
Water Flowing in the Brook
小河淌水
Strings Quartet

2. Chou Jenny H. (b. 1965)
Chou Jenny H. was born in Taipei, Taiwan. Chou joined the Taipei Children's
Chorus and through her experience in the children's choir, she became increasingly
interested in choral music. Chou received her bachelor's degree in piano
performance from the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and served as an
accompanist for the Chin-Yun Chorus while a student at NTNU. Chou continued her
studies at Boston University, graduating with a master's degree in piano and
harpsichord performance in 1991. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at
Boston University in historic performance in 2004.
Chou taught chamber music at Harvard University and harpsichord
performance at Boston University and has performed as a pianist with Opera New
89
England, as well as multiple choral groups in America, including In Choro Novo, for
the past eighteen years. As a composer, Chou melds ideas from her interest and
education in early music into her compositions. Chou's works are exclusively for
vocal music (solo and chorus). Her compositional structure is always clear and
straightforward, making her music accessible to audiences, and allowing as many
people as possible to engage in choral music. Her most widely performed pieces and
arrangements include "The Joy of the Snowflake" and "Farewell, Farewell," which
were selected as compulsory works at numerous choral competitions. These
competitions include National Student Music Competition (Taiwan), Hong Kong
Schools Music Festival, and Taipei International Choral Competition.
Chou has several commissioned compositions across the United States and
Asia and is published in Taiwan by Chorphilia. Currently, she serves as the pianist
for the Boston Children's Chorus and the Weston Community Chorus in
Massachusetts.

3. Shih Ching-Ju (b. 1967)
Shih Ching-Ju holds a bachelor’s degree in composition from National Taiwan
Normal University in 1990 and a master's degree in piano performance and
composition from Boston University in 1995. In 1996, Shih began advanced studies
in composition at the City University of New York under the Pulitzer Prize for music
winner David Del Tredici (b. 1937) and the chair of the Department of Composition
David Olan (b. 1948).
90
Shih's music styles are diverse, fluent, and passionate, ranging from classical
to modern. Her compositions include instrumental, vocal, chamber, orchestral, and
choral. She has over one hundred instrumental arrangements of Taiwanese
folksongs and has published a series of materials for music education adapted from
Taiwanese folksongs.
A prolific composer, Shih continues to receive commissions from several
choral organizations, including the Taiwanese choral groups: the Taipei
Philharmonic Chorus, the Taipei Male Choir, and the Formosa Singers. Her music
has been well-received for its lyrical characteristics and Taiwanese folk elements.
She has maintained a long-standing relationship with the Formosa Singers, who
have published most of her choral works. She devoted herself to Taiwanese
literature and composed many songs in the Taiwanese dialect, including poems
from Lee-Min Yong (b.1947) and Hsiang Yang (b.1955). Her major choral works
include the oratorio "In the Days when Chiang Weishui was in Prison" and the suite
"Songs of the Land" for an a cappella choir. The Formosa Singers have published an
album of Shih's choral works, nominated for five awards, including Best Composer,
at the 28th Golden Melody Awards in 2017.
3

Shih is an active composer, pianist, and educator living in northern
California. In addition to composing, Shih lectures at schools and local communities
in the U.S. and Taiwan, sharing her musical expertise. Her composition "When the
World Quiets Down (SATB)" was selected as one of the compulsory lists at the

3
Zhuo Shao Zhong-Hao, "An Analysis and Interpretation of Six Taiwanese Choral Works by Ching-Ju
Shih's Setting of the Ming-Yung Lee Poems," (master's thesis, Fu Jen Catholic University, 2022), 7.
91
Taipei International Choral Competition in 2019.

4. Tsai Yu-Shan (b. 1968)
Tsai Yu-Shan received her master’s degree in piano performance from the
Peabody Institute of Music in the United States under the tutelage of Ellen Mack,
Jane Allen, and Charles Asche. Since her return to Taiwan in 1995, Tsai has
frequently performed with world-renown musicians and collaborated with
community choirs. In 1999, the Formosa Singers’ conductor, Su Julian Ching-Chun,
invited Tsai to serve as the ensemble’s pianist. Su later encouraged Tsai to arrange
songs for the Formosa Singers.
Tsai exclusively arranges choral music, many of which are folksong
arrangements featuring various Taiwanese dialects. Tsai is the most productive
choral arranger in Taiwan. She has arranged over one hundred works during the
past twenty years, which has greatly contributed to preserving Taiwanese folk
music. In addition to serving as pianist for the Formosa Singers, Tsai teaches music
classes at several high schools, including the Taipei Municipal Chung-Cheng Senior
High School and the Tamkang Senior High School. Many Taiwanese choirs enjoy
performing Tsai’s arrangements as they are melodically pleasing and instilled with
the spirit of the original folk song. Due to their close association with Taiwanese folk
music, Tsai’s works are often selected for compulsory lists at choral competitions in
Taiwan.
The Formosa Singers have premiered and published most of Tsai’s
92
arrangements. Also, her sacred hymn “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” (English
translation of the Taiwanese text) won Best Arrangement at the 33rd Golden
Melody Awards in 2022. Some of her works were published by international
publishers, which is very unusual for Taiwanese composers (Table 18).

Table 5.2: Tsai Yu-Shan’s Arrangements Published Internationally
Title Voice Language Publisher and Year
Fa Shu Ha
花樹下
SATB Chorus
with Piano
Hakka
Earthsongs(USA)
2011
It is Well with My
Soul
有時咱經過美麗清
靜河墘
SATB Chorus
with Piano
Taiwanese
Augsburg Fortress
4
(USA)
2013
Tin O O (Dark
Clouds)
天黑黑
SATB
A Cappella
Taiwanese
Edition Peters (Germany)
2015
Tsau Me Lang Ge
Gang
草螟弄雞公
SATB
A Cappella
Taiwanese
Earthsongs (USA)
2018
Dalubaling
鬼湖之戀
SATB
A Cappella
Aboriginal
Tribe, Rukai
Earthsongs (USA)
2019

5. Lin Yu-Ling (b. 1970)
Lin Yu-Ling majored in piano and received a bachelor’s degree in 1992 at the
Soochow University Music Department in Taiwan. In 1995, she received her
master's degree in piano and harpsichord at the New England Conservatory of
Music, studying with professors Jacob Maxin and John Gibbons.

4
The publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
93
Lin returned to Taiwan in 1995 and became the collaborative pianist for the
Joyful Female Choir. Currently, Lin is a lecturer at Fu Jen Catholic University and
teaches private lessons at the Taipei Municipal Chung-Cheng Senior High School,
Jen-Ai Junior High School, Nan-Men Junior High School, Fu-Shin Elementary School,
and Dun-Hua Elementary. In addition to teaching and performing as a soloist and
accompanist, Lin was encouraged by the Formosa Singers conductor, Su Julian
Ching-Chun, to compose and arrange choral works.
As a composer, Lin's compositions and arrangements are all written for the
chorus. The majority of her music was written for the Joyful Female Choir. This
ensemble is a community choir, with the majority of the singers over fifty. Lin's
compositional structure and melody are written in an uncomplicated and accessible
manner for most ensembles. A number of her compositions are often selected as
compulsory works for the National Student Music Competition. Lin frequently
writes her text for her works, predominately in Taiwanese. Recently, the Formosa
Singers published a series of Lin's choral music.

6. Chang Shu-Han (b. 1971)
Chang Shu-Han was born in Tainan, Taiwan, and received her bachelor’s
degree in piano from the National Taiwan Normal University in 1993. After working
as an accompanist for many years, Chang began to arrange choral music. Her first
arrangement was "Whisper of West Wind," commissioned by the conductor of the
Great Voice of Love Chorus, Yuan-Ray Chu, in 2001, while she was the collaborative
94
pianist of the ensemble.
Chang's compositions and arrangements are exclusively written for chorus.
Through her experience as a collaborative pianist, Chang is very familiar with what
works best for the voice. Chang's music melds Chinese lyrics (including Mandarin,
Hakka, and Taiwanese) with singable melodies. She has written more than one
hundred choral arrangements performed by ensembles such as the King's Singers
(UK) and Die Singphoniker (Germany). Her treble-voice arrangement, "Mother's
Wreath," composed by a Taiwanese pop singer, Chen Jien-Nien (b. 1967), was
selected as a compulsory piece for the National Student Music Competition twice in
2012 and 2019. Chang's music is self-published but distributed by Pana Musica
International.
Currently, Chang is a full-time composer and arranger and serves as the
pianist of the Great Voice of Love Chorus, the Yonghe Philharmonic Choir, the
EMBA's Singers of the National Taiwan University, and the Taipei Chinese Orchestra
Chorus.

7. Chao Ching-Wen (b. 1973)
Chao Ching-Wen received her doctoral degree in composition from Stanford
University in 2002, where she studied with Jonathan Harvey (1939–2012), Brian
Ferneyhough (b. 1943), Chris Chafe (b. 1952), and computer music pioneer Jean-
Claude Risset (1938–2016). She has completed research in electroacoustic music at
the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford.
95
After graduation, she began a lecturer position at Stanford University for two years
(2002–2004). Chao is currently the Associate Professor in Composition at the
National Taiwan Normal University. Her works have been performed at significant
worldwide music festivals, including the Asian Music Festival, La Fabbrica Del Canto
in Italy, World Music Days, Polyfollia in France, the Electroacoustic Music Society
Conference, and Darmstadt Institut fur Neue Musik und Musikerziehung. She was
invited three times (2015, 2017, 2018) by the National Performing Arts Center in
Taiwan to act as curator of the Innovation Series.
5
Also, she frequently collaborates
with music groups nationally and internationally, such as Arditti String Quartet,
Phace, California EAR Unit, St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Eighth Blackbird,
Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, and Taiwan National Chinese Orchestra.
As a contemporary composer with extensive training in composition, Chao's
music combines western skills and eastern philosophy, presenting a unique musical
aesthetic.
6
Chao's compositions cover diverse musical styles, including instrumental,
chamber, experimental, electronic, and choral. One of her most famous choral works
is "Tsang Tse" for 12-voice mixed chorus with percussion. Commissioned by the
Taipei Chamber Singers in 2010, the work progresses from non-pitch to pitch, from
noise to tone, and gradually from tone to complete harmony of gong reverberation.

5
The Innovation Series is a unique yearly project of the National Performing Arts Center to promote
contemporary music. Outstanding national and international orchestras, musicians, composers, and
cross-disciplinary artists are invited to perform.
6
Tzeng Yin-Huei, "Exploring the Conducting Interpretation Skills of Contemporary Music from Chao
Ching-Wen's Orchestral Work- Mirror of Time." (master thesis, National Taiwan Normal University,
2011), 44–45.
96
8. Liu Shen-Hsien (b. 1973)
Liu Shen-Hsien received his bachelor's degree in piano performance from
Soochow University. In 2008, he earned his master's degree in computer music from
the composition and technology division at National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung
University. He is a composer, arranger, percussionist, and recorder player. Liu's
classical works include orchestral, chamber music, solo instrumental, and vocal
(solo and choral). In 2000, his arrangement "Tibetan Mantra and Sutra in New Age"
won Best Sacred Album at the 11th Golden Melody Awards. Also, he has composed
music for dance groups, theater companies, TV shows, video games, commercials,
and interactive computer music.
7

Liu is a part-time lecturer at the Tainan National University of Arts
Department of Applied Music. As a full-time composer, he serves as composer-in-
residence at the Kaohsiung Chamber Choir, the Southern Taiwan Pops Orchestra,
and the string ensemble, Baroque Camerata. Liu is also a singer and is gifted in
writing and arranging pop music. The Kaohsiung Chamber Choir has premiered a
number of his popular song suites.
Liu is an active composer, and in recent years, he received numerous
commissions from many prestigious choirs in Taiwan, including the Taipei
Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Müller Chamber Choir, and the Kaohsiung
Chamber Choir. In addition, his treble choir work "Psalm 23" was commissioned by
the Taipei International Choral Competition as a compulsory work in 2019. His

7
Interactive computer music is a subgenre of what might be called performance-oriented computer
music. It requires at least one performer with computer-generated or electronically produced music.
97
works are both self-published in addition to publishing through different sources,
including Kaohsiung Chamber Choir, Chiayi Chamber Choir, Denx Taiwan Music, and
Chorphilia.

9. Lin Ching-Mei (b. 1980)
Taiwanese composer and pianist Lin Ching-Mei began to study composing at
the Stella Matutina Girls' High School in Taichung, Taiwan. She earned her
bachelor's degree in composition from the National Taiwan Normal University in
2002 and received a government scholarship to study abroad. Lin received her
Master of Music degree in composition from the Eastman School of Music in 2006
and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 2010. After
returning to Taiwan from the States in 2010, she was appointed to the faculty of the
Taipei National University of the Arts in Taiwan and currently serves as an Associate
Professor of Theory and Composition.
Lin's compositions include multiple genres: orchestral, concerto, vocal (solo
and choral), chamber, solo instrumental works, and documentary. Lin has received
several awards for her compositions, including the 44th Annual Young Composers'
Competition of the National Association of Composers (USA, 2001), the American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Morton Gould Young
Composer recipient (2005), and the String Quartet award at the Emerging
Composers Competition (2009). In 2022, her work "Song of Reverberant Emerald,"
commissioned by the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, won Best Composer at
98
the 33rd Golden Music Awards in Taiwan.
Significant Performances of her composition have occurred, including the
Aspen Music Festival, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Earshot New
Music Reading, the National Association of Composers National Conference, the
Midwest Composers Symposium, and the North American Saxophone Alliance
Biennial Conference. In addition, she received numerous commissions from
orchestras and choirs nationally and internationally. Lin's composition, "Watching
the Sea (SATB)," was selected as one of the compulsory lists at the Taipei
International Choral Competition in 2019. In addition, the "Four Leaved Clover"
mixed choir version was selected as the compulsory work in the National Student
Music Competition in Taiwan in 2014, and the treble choir version was selected as
the compulsory work in the National Community Choirs Competition in 2019.

10. Huang Chun-Da (b. 1986)
Huang Chun-Da was born in Taipei and was awarded a bachelor's degree in
composition in 2014 from National Taiwan Normal University, where he studied
composition with Lin Jin-You (b.1948). Other compositional influences include
Huang Yu-Wun, Wu Chen-Chen, and Professor Mei Ming-Huei.
Huang is a composer, pianist, and he performs classical, blues, jazz, funk, rock
and roll, and pop music. Huang was trained as a classical singer and has served as a
vocalist in both pop and opera contexts. Additionally, Huang has conducted choral
groups and worked as a vocal coach.
99
Huang's musical style encompasses both classical and popular genres. His
compositions include works for solo voice, choral, instrumental, chamber music,
orchestral, musicals, television, film, and cell phone ringtones. Huang enjoys
creating new musical perspectives by combining different musical styles. Through
numerous inter-genre collaborations, he has developed integrating music with
diverse media and presenting music's refined and public-friendly way. Huang was
the recipient of the “Potential Arts” by the Ministry of Culture in 2013.
Huang is a productive composer and has composed hundreds of works. His
choral work “Storyteller in the Crowd (SATB)” was selected as a compulsory work
for the National Student Music Competition and the Taipei International Choral
Competition in 2018. Huang receives commissions from many outstanding choral
ensembles in Taiwan as a freelance composer, including the Taipei Philharmonic
Chamber Choir, the Müller Chamber Choir, and the National Taiwan University
Chorus.

100
CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSION

Taiwan, whose official name is the Republic of China (ROC), is a beautiful
island and the first democratic country in Asia. Due to its unique geographic
location, Taiwan embraces diverse resources, cultures, and races. Since the early
seventeenth century, many countries, including the Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese,
have colonized Taiwan, and in the process introduced Taiwan to western musical
ideas. Although each country’s colonization of the island only lasted about fifty to
sixty years, each significantly influenced Taiwan’s musical development.
Taiwanese music can be grouped into four styles: aboriginal music, Han
Chinese traditional music, western art music, and popular music. After the Dutch left
Taiwan in 1662, western sacred music was abruptly halted for about two hundred
years, allowing Han Chinese traditional music to develop. When Japan ruled Taiwan
in 1895, western music was once again introduced to Taiwan. During the twentieth
century, the first generation of Taiwanese musicians was taught western musical
techniques and studied in Japan, while the second generation studied in Europe.
Upon returning to Taiwan, these musicians brought western art music to the Island,
established organizations and ensembles that still exist, and forged a new path
forward for Taiwan's music. An additional and necessary impetus for Taiwan was
Hsu Tsang-Houei's "Folksong Collection Movement" in the 1960s. The movement
stimulated musicians to realize the value and abundance of “true” Taiwanese music
and revitalized the use of native literature and language, including the dialects of
101
Hakka, Hokkien, and Austronesian languages.
Taiwanese choral music originated during the Dutch occupation, with the
first written record of choral singing taking place in 1636. However, choral music
showed little development during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Considered by many
scholars to have had the most significant impact on Taiwan's choral music was the
Japanese occupation's requirement of singing classes in the educational curriculum.
During this same period, the Japanese established teachers' colleges, allowing music
teachers to receive formal music training. Since the 1950s, more universities with
music departments have been established, led by notable Taiwanese musicians
having returned from international studies. In addition, choral music performance
became popular at schools through the creation of the National Student Music
Competition in 1956.
When Dirk DuHei returned to Taiwan from the States in 1983 and was
appointed as music director and conductor in the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus,
Taiwanese choral music began a new chapter. He introduced new choral music
concepts to Taiwan and brought Taiwanese choral music to the international stage.
Later, the first group of professional choral conductors who earned master’s and
doctoral degrees in choral conducting from the United States returned to Taiwan,
devoting themselves to either school education or professional ensembles. In 1994,
National Sun Yat-sen University established Taiwan’s first master’s degree in choral
conducting, followed in 2013 by Fu Jen Catholic University, which offered the first
doctoral degree in choral conducting.
The development of Taiwanese choral music in the twenty-first century has
102
been greatly enhanced by both government and non-government efforts. The
Ministry of Culture (MOC), National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF), and
Cultural Bureaus of City or County offer grants to choral ensembles. The TAIWAN
TOP Annual Grant Program is the most significant support and encourages the
cultivation of art groups. Through these grants, five choral organizations, including
the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education, the TMC Culture and
Arts Foundation, the Formosa Singers, the Taipei Chamber Singers, and the Müller
Chamber Choir, achieved outstanding accomplishments on the international stage.
The flourishment of Taiwanese choral music during the beginning of the
twenty-first century has also occurred with the creation of choral festivals. This has
led to the increasing participation of international choirs and choristers. In addition,
these choral festivals have led to continuing musical outreach, education, and
cultural exchanges. The Council for Cultural Affairs held the first International
Taipei Choral Festival in 1991. Soon after, in 1996, the Taipei Philharmonic
Foundation for Culture and Education established the first non-government
organization to host a choral festival, considered Asia's most prominent one. In
addition, Taiwan's first-ever international choral competition appeared in 2018,
providing more opportunities for cultural exchange between Taiwan and the
international choral community.
The need for new choral compositions stimulated the popularity of the sheet
music industry and encouraged composers to create new works in Taiwan. Due to
technological advancements, choral conductors and musicians can easily acquire
scores online. Taiwanese citizens can now freely publish their works without legal
103
limitations. As a distributor, Pana Musica International has built its reputation with
composers by promoting adherence to copyright laws and has contributed
significantly to disseminating Taiwanese choral music. Some ensembles and
organizations publish music under their organization’s name, including the Taipei
Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education, the TMC Culture and Arts
Foundation, the Chorus Taiwan, the Formosa Singers, the Taipei Chamber Singers,
the Müller Chamber Choir, the Kaohsiung Chamber Choir, the Chiayi Chamber Choir,
the Ching-Yun Choir, the Denx Taiwan Music, the Moving Touch Studio Inc., and the
Chorphilia. However, there has yet to be a specialized publisher for choral music in
Taiwan. Choral conductors and musicians look forward to the possibility of the first
Taiwanese choral music publisher to further promote Taiwanese composers and
choral compositions.
Choral music’s development is reliant on ensemble participation. Due to
declining birth rates, the number of new students attending school has decreased
annually. This has unfortunately resulted in fewer young singers participating in
choir. Yet interestingly, at the same time, more choral ensembles consisting of older
adults have been created. Methods for encouraging and increasing choral music
participation by young singers is an issue of concern for the future of Taiwanese
choral music and deserving of further research. Despite these concerns, choral
music in Taiwan continues to flourish through the work of exceptional ensembles,
organizations, and governmental support.

104
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110
Appendix A: Selected List of Choral Works by Composers and Arrangers in
Chapter 5

I am Flying (我在飛翔)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Chien, Nan-Chang
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 4’19”

Sunset (落日)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Chien, Nan-Chang
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 4’23”

Song of Praise (讚美歌唱) - Rukai Folksong
Language: Aboriginal Tribe, Rukai
Composer: None
Arranger: Chien, Nan-Chang
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano/Percussions
Time: 3’24”

Sanctus
Language: Latin with “The Lord’s Prayer“ narrative (in Taiwanese)
Composer: Chien, Nan-Chang
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Percussions
Time: 8’24”

The Joy of Snowflake (雪花的快樂)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Chou, Jenny H.
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 4’30”

111
Farewell (城南送別)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Chou, Jenny H.
Voice: SATB/TTBB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 5’12”

Meet by Chance (萍聚) -China Youth Corps Activities’ Song
Language: Mandarin
Composer: China Youth Corps
Arranger: Chou, Jenny H.
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 4’42”

If Tomorrow is Next Life (如果明天就是下一生)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Shih, Ching-Ju
Voice: SATB/SSA/TTBB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 6’10”

When the World Quiets Down (世界恬靜落來的時)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Shih, Ching-Ju
Voice: SATB/SSA/TTBB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 3’53”

Imaginations of the Sea (海的臆想)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Shih, Ching-Ju
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 4’29”

Village Head Wants to Build Bridge (村長伯仔欲造橋)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Shih, Ching-Ju
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 2’28”

112
Hymn for the Righteously Loyal Resistant (褒忠讚歌)
Language: Hakka
Composer: Shih, Ching-Ju
Voice: SATB/TTBB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 4’42”

This Life, This Lifetime (今生今世)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Shih, Ching-Ju
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 6’11”

Fa Shu Ha (花樹下)
Language: Hakka
Composer: Hsieh, Yu-Wei
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 3’07”

The Eagles (鷂婆)
Language: Hakka
Composer: Chen, Yong-Tao
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB/SSA/SA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 2’26”

Moonlight (月光光) - Hakka Children Song
Language: Hakka
Composer: None
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 1’46”

Girl at Eighteen (十八姑娘)
Language: Hakka
Composer: Teng, Yu-Hsien
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 3’28”
113
Raining (天公落水) -Hakka Folksong
Language: Hakka
Composer: None
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 2’21”

Tin O O (天烏烏) -Northern Taiwan Children Song
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: None
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB/SSAA
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 2’16”

Our Precious Baby (伊是咱的寶貝)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Chen, Ming-Chang
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 3’47”

Precious Lord, Take My Hand (親愛主牽我手)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Hymn
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 2’39”

Dalubaling (鬼湖之戀) -Rukai Folksong
Language: Aboriginal Tribe, Rukai
Composer: None
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 3’25”

114
U da ler (祈雨歌) -Rukai Children’s Song
Language: Aboriginal Tribe, Rukai
Composer: None
Arranger: Tsai, Yu-Shan
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 2’02”

The Wind of the Four Seasons (四季的風)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Lin, Yu-Ling
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 3’28”

Happy Kids (快樂囝仔兄)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Lin, Yu-Ling
Voice: SA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 2’56”

Sweater Made by Mather (阿母織的膨紗衫)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Lin, Yu-Ling
Voice: SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 2’55”

Youthful (青春當青)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Lin, Yu-Ling
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 2’52”

Don’t Call Me “Hsiao-Doh” (別叫我小痘)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Lin, Yu-Ling
Voice: SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 2’21”

115
The Moon Represents My Heart (月亮代表我的心)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Weng, Ching-Shi
Arranger: Chang, Shu-Han
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 4’30”

Hair Bun Flower (髻鬃花)
Language: Hakka
Composer: Yeh, Guo-Ju
Arranger: Chang, Shu-Han
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 5’31”

Old House (老屋)
Language: Hakka
Composer: Yeh, Guo-Ju
Arranger: Chang, Shu-Han
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 5’26”

You Are the April of the World (你是人間的四月天)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Chang, Shu-Han
Voice: SSA
Accompaniment: Piano/Cello
Time: 6’32”

Mother’s Wreath (媽媽的花環)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Chen, Chien-Nien
Arranger: Chang, Shu-Han
Voice: SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 3’31”

Planting of Crops (蒔田)
Language: Hakka
Composer: Chao, Ching-Wen
Voice: SA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 5’00”
116
Sweet Potatoes (蕃薯)
Language: Hakka
Composer: Chao, Ching-Wen
Voice: SA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 3’20”

Tsang-Tse (鑼鼓運動)
Language: None (Imitation of percussive sounds)
Composer: Chao, Ching-Wen
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Percussions
Time: 10’03”

Manemane
Language: Aboriginal Tribe, Rukai & Yamei
Composer: Chao, Ching-Wen
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 3’57”

Mother’s Wreath (祈禱)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Liu, Shen-Hsien
Voice: SATB/TTB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 5’50”

The Slowly Descending Moon (月亮緩緩下降)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Liu, Shen-Hsien
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 6’27”

Blessing (祝福)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Huang, Chung-Yuan
Arranger: Liu, Shen-Hsien
Voice: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 4’43”

117
Psalm 23 (詩篇23篇)
Language: English
Composer: Liu, Shen-Hsien
Voice: SSA
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 3’20”

Watching the Sea (望海)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Lin, Ching-Mei
Voice: SATB/TTBB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 5’09”

Four Leaved Clover (幸運草)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Lin, Ching-Mei
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 4’06”

A Journey Called Life (名為人生的旅程)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Lin, Ching-Mei
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 16’19”

As the Deer (親像鹿欣慕溪水)
Language: Taiwanese
Composer: Lin, Ching-Mei
Voice: TTBB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 6’55”

Fairies by The River (臨江仙)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Lin, Ching-Mei
Voice: SSA
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 3’32”

118
Storyteller in the Crowd (走進庶民的說書人)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Huang, Chun-Da
Voice: SATB/TTB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano/Clarinet
Time: 16’19”

Lai Su (來甦)
Language: Aboriginal Tribe, Paiwan
Composer: Huang, Chun-Da
Voice: SATB/TTBB
Accompaniment: A Cappella
Time: 6’49”

Hearing Pinglin (聽見坪林)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Huang, Chun-Da
Voice: SATB/SSA
Accompaniment: Piano/Flute
Time: 5’16”

Farewell (告別)
Language: Mandarin
Composer: Huang, Chun-Da
Voice: SATB/TTBB
Accompaniment: Piano
Time: 5’21”

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Appendix B: Transcriptions of Interviews
All the interviews are initially in Mandarin and transcribed into English by the
author.

Ku Yu-Chung John, Interview
November 8, 2022, via Zoom
Music Director, Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education

Nieh Yen-Hsiang: Can you tell me your background and the reason why you
went abroad to study choral music?

Ku Yu-Chung John: I played musical instruments when I was a child, but I didn't take
gifted classes. I became interested in music in high school. Although I studied
economics in university, I was sure I would like to major in music later. It was not
until 2000, when I went to the United States to study, that I entered the field of
music training. Because in the 1990s, no school offered a master's program in choral
conducting in Taiwan, so I decided to study abroad in 2000. Since I didn't have a
degree in music, I spent two years taking music courses and entered Temple
University to pursue a master's degree in choral conducting in 2002. In 2005, I
began studying at Cincinnati University for my DMA.

Nieh: Can you tell me what you are currently engaged in the field of choral
music?

Ku: My job is primarily as the music director of the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation
for Culture and Education. In addition to rehearsing large-scale choral works for the
Taipei Philharmonic Chorus, I also serve as the conductor of the Taipei
Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Also, I teach ensembles in the university's music
department, which is a part-time job.

Nieh: Can you address the development of choral music in Taiwan during the
past thirty years?

Ku: In my opinion, the development is reflected in several ways:

1. The significant increase in choral compositions is an essential part. More and
more composers are willing to write choral music, especially for general public
singing rather than experimental music. Therefore, many new choral works by
Taiwanese composers have been created.

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2. International exchange has become a prevalent trend. It is related to Taiwanese
choral music development and is also associated with the overall environment of
the world. Around the 1990s, many Taiwanese choirs began to go abroad to
participate in international activities. Therefore, they learned a lot of new
repertoires and were able to connect with the world. In addition, the International
Choral Festival held by the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and
Education has brought new stimulation to Taiwanese choral conductors and singers.
While Internet technology is increasingly advanced, they can also get the latest
information and repertoire.

3. There are many outstanding choral ensembles in Taiwan, such as the Taipei
Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Taipei Chamber Singers, which also celebrates its
30th anniversary this year, the Taipei Male Choir, the Formosa Singers, and the
Müller Chamber Choir. They were all established and developed over this period.
Also, many professional conductors who had degrees from abroad returned to
Taiwan and began promoting choral music. In fact, from the 1960s to the 1980s, the
chamber choir was not mainstream in the development of Taiwanese choral music,
but with the establishment of these chamber choirs, Taiwanese choral music
developed a new path. I think the degree of vigorous growth in these thirty years far
exceeds that in the previous fifty years.

Nieh: Do you believe there is a vibrant choral music landscape in Taiwan?

Ku: Yes.

Nieh: What do you believe has led to this vibrant Taiwanese choral landscape?
(People, choirs, travel, recordings, festivals)

Ku: For me, the future of choral music in Taiwan is still promising. As mentioned
earlier, I think having works that can be sung and performed is essential. There are
more and more composers in Taiwan who can write excellent choral music and
many commissioned works. Only with suitable compositions can there be a good
vision. Whether the number of choral compositions or the increase in genres, it is
quite a positive motivation. However, why is there still something dark? I think it is
a problem of the whole environment, not only Taiwan but the general public's
enthusiasm for classical music (or the art that takes time to accumulate). More and
more people are unwilling to spend time working hard, and few people are willing
to appreciate it. However, compared to instrumental music, choral music is the most
accessible art. Although it is difficult to increase the population quickly, I believe
there is still a future. In addition, many non-governmental organizations in Taiwan
organize choral music activities and continue interacting with the world. I think this
is also a significant force for the development of choral music in Taiwan. The Taipei
International Choir Competition, organized by the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation
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for Culture and Educational in 2018, was also the first international competition for
choirs in Taiwan. In summary, I am hopeful for the future of choral music in Taiwan.

Nieh: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of Taiwanese
choral culture in the 21st Century? How might some of the weaknesses be
addressed? (compositions/ arrangements, choirs (schools or academic,
community, semi- professional), festival, recordings, choral competitions. etc.)

Ku: I think the advantage is that the tradition of folk songs becomes the nutrient for
composing, but this advantage exists in many Asian countries. It cannot be denied
that choral music is still imported from the West, so there is no such music as
Renaissance and Baroque in Asia. But Asia has a rich ethnic culture, and the
traditional music of these ethnic groups can be used as the material for composing.
For example, Taiwan has aboriginal tribes, Hakka, Hokkien, etc., all of which can be
used to write choral music. In addition, many Taiwanese dare to try. Whether it is a
conductor or a choir, they are willing to try in terms of choral repertoire or
performance styles, and they are not afraid of difficulties in producing
breakthroughs. Taiwan's cultural concept is still very liberal and open.

As for the weaknesses, it is my personal, very subjective point of view, which
everyone may not agree with my ideas. First, from the perspective of promoting
choral music, the popularity and breadth are pretty good because many singers with
different backgrounds have joined the choral music world. However, I think
improving the overall choir quality is insufficient. The most direct example is that
accepting a cappella music is not enough. It is more challenging to learn
unaccompanied works than those with accompaniment. Also, for a cappella music,
the requirements for the members' singing ability and the conductors' ability are
relatively high. But I think Taiwan is still relatively weak compared to the rest of the
world. Most Taiwanese choirs still like to sing songs with piano accompaniment. In
Taiwan, unaccompanied works are often sung and performed by outstanding
ensembles, and other groups may not be so willing to do. I think it's a pity because
this represents the display of overall Taiwanese choral music ability.

Furthermore, there is an imbalance in the difficulty of Taiwanese choral works. Not
to say that challenging works are better; sometimes difficult pieces can stimulate
the choir's progress. Now I see that most of the choral works have beautiful
melodies, and they are all harmoniously textured, very accessible, and everyone can
sing joyfully. I think about 60% of the songs are like this style, but I also think there
should be 30% of the slightly difficult repertoires, and the last 10% are very difficult
repertoires that require top choirs to sing. It is a balanced ecology of choral
repertoires. Currently, the choral compositions are either very difficult or easy, but
the number of repertoires in the middle 30% is insufficient. Such repertoire can
improve the ability of the choir. In addition, most Taiwanese choral works are more
lyrical, lacking works with a strong rhythm or dramatic tension, which is a pity.

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There is also the factor of the overall environment. Because of the declining birth
rate, young people do not like choral music (they like the culture of fast and
immediate entertainment), and the school does not pay attention to or support it, so
the number of school choirs in Taiwan all are decreasing, especially in elementary
and secondary levels.

Nieh: Do you believe that the aboriginal languages, or dialects (Taiwanese,
Hakka) have influenced the compositional process? Has folk music influenced
the choral compositional processes?

Ku: I think it has a very positive impact. Because there are different languages, it
brings other characteristics and development possibilities. The main languages used
in Taiwan are Mandarin, Hokkien, and Hakka. The rhymes, pronunciation, and
diction of these three languages alone will produce different ways of timbres and
interpretation. The difference in the effect of languages will affect or inspire the
composer's compositions. In addition, various indigenous groups' languages will
produce the songs' characteristics. Because there are so many languages, the choral
works are more affluent and diverse. In addition, since the government promotes
these languages, the public's acceptance of languages has increased, and these
languages have more possibilities for use.

Another point of view is that the language of indigenous groups is phonetic, which is
relatively easy to spread. However, most tribes pay attention to the tradition of their
music, such as the style, which is easily restricted in the arrangement. I think there
can be more innovative ideas to make music more diverse.

Nieh: Can you define what the characteristics of Taiwanese choral
compositions in the 21st Century? How have the choral compositions evolved?

Ku: First, the context of the choral arrangements is relatively clear because it is
easier to get close to the public by using existing folk songs or pop songs for
arrangements. In addition, many choral works in Taiwan use poems as lyrics,
especially those of Taiwanese poets. These two categories of compositions are the
vast majority of the choral repertoire I have seen in Taiwan so far. Because Taiwan
may not have a solid Christian culture like Western countries, there are only a few
religious works.

Nieh: Can you tell me who you believe the leading Taiwanese composers are
and why?

Ku: It must be mentioned that Tsai Yu-Shan. Although she is mainly an arranger, she
should be with the most significant number of choral arrangements in Taiwan. In
addition, Shi Ching-Ju, Chou Jenny H., and Huang Chun-Da also have many choral
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works that are still continuously composed. Two composers write large-scale choral
works. Jin Shi-Wen's compositions are more related to religion. Chien Nan-Chang
has cooperated with us for a long time to create large-scale choral symphony works,
which is quite essential. I think some composers are excellent but may not have as
many choral works. They have received professional composition training and teach
in schools such as Lin Ming-Chieh, Lin Ching-Mei, Chao Ching-Wen, and Ren Zhen-
Hui. There are also many good composers, such as Chang Shu-Han, who served as
the collaborative pianist in the choir, or Liu Shen-Hsien, most of which are relatively
popular works.

Nieh: What do you hope the choral culture (scene) will look like thirty years
from now (compositions/choirs/conductors) in Taiwan?

Ku: I hope that there will be more outstanding choral compositions in Taiwan, and
there will be more outstanding choirs, even the world-renowned choirs such as the
Tallis Scholars, the Chanticleer, or the Philippine Madrigal Singers. In addition,
Taiwanese choral music is sung worldwide, and when it comes to choral music,
people must mention Taiwan.

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Lin Chun-Lung, Interview
October 15, 2022, In-person
Chairman, Pana Musica International
Chief Executive Officer, TMC Culture and Art Foundation

Nieh Yen-Hsiang: Can you tell me what you are currently engaged in the field
of choral music?

Lin Chun-Lung: Currently, I engage in two jobs in the choral music field: I am the
chief executive director of the TMC Culture and Art Foundation, which mainly
participates in the board of directors and foundation operation discussions and
decision-making; Also, I am the chairman of the Pana Musica International, which is
the branch of Pana Musica in Jpan. We have two offices, one is in the National
Concert Hall in Taipei, and the other one is in Kaohsiung. The company aims to sell
choral scores, share choral experiences, and hold choral activities, such as concerts,
lectures, etc.

Nieh: Can you address the development of choral music in Taiwan during the
past thirty years?

Lin: Before 1990, Taiwanese choirs mostly sang Chinese art songs or arrangements
of foreign folk songs in Mandarin. When international choirs came to Taiwan to
perform, they would also leave some resources of choral works for Taiwan choirs to
perform. Along with some choral experts who returned from studying abroad and
brought back their learning experience, Taiwanese choirs gradually began to sing
choral works in foreign languages. At the same time, there were many international
choral events, bringing in foreign choirs to perform in Taiwan and allowing
Taiwanese choirs to hear different sounds. Also, Taiwanese choirs have gradually
begun to go abroad to participate in international choral activities. They hope to
sing high-level choral works, and the ensemble can improve their abilities by
rehearsing these repertoires. In addition, the channels for purchasing sheet music
are getting more accessible, making choir performances more diverse. In recent
years, more Taiwanese choral works can be published due to the advocation of Pana
Musica International. The improvement of the group's ability, the establishment of
several choirs, and the increase in the quality and quantity of choral works have
significantly changed the development of Taiwanese choral music in the past three
decades.

Nieh: Do you believe there is a vibrant choral music landscape in Taiwan?

Lin: Yes.

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Nieh: What do you believe has led to this vibrant Taiwanese choral landscape?
(People, choirs, travel, recordings, festivals)

Lin: They are all closely related. I think internationalization and more accessibility
to get scores is an essential factors. The most important thing in the development of
choral music is the emphasis on the publishing industry, which will make the
development of choral music more comprehensive and encourage composers to
compose. At the same time, after Taiwan began to focus on the concept of copyright,
international publishers were more willing to provide music scores for sale. It will
be easier to receive new repertoire. With the development of Internet technology, as
long as you can access the Internet, you can hear first-hand new works or innovative
performance methods, incorporating the diversity of music into chorus
performances. I think there is incredible energy for development in Taiwanese
choral music.

Nieh: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of Taiwanese
choral culture in the 21st Century? How might some of the weaknesses be
addressed? (compositions/ arrangements, choirs (schools or academic,
community, semi- professional), festival, recordings, choral competitions. etc.)

Lin: I think letting Taiwanese choirs and audiences understand contemporary
choral music is essential. For example, in Japan, singers have learned to appreciate
contemporary choral music, such as atonal choral works or complex rhythms since
childhood. However, Taiwan is more focused on beautiful and melodic choral works.
Therefore, I think the development of choral music still needs to advance according
to the music trend, and singers must have such qualities to accept contemporary
choral music. Furthermore, choral music comes from Western religious music,
which cannot be given up. Due to the lack of rehearsal time or the limitation of the
conductor's ability, choir members in Taiwan need to cultivate and appreciate the
ability to distinguish different musical styles. As long as the singers' ability is
improved, there will be more possibilities for development. In addition, I also hope
that there will be more original Taiwanese choral compositions. Currently, there are
a lot of choral music arrangements, but I hope there will be more original works to
be composed in the future.

Nieh: Do you believe that the aboriginal languages, or dialects (Taiwanese,
Hakka) have influenced the compositional process? Has folk music influenced
the choral compositional processes?

Lin: Because of the government’s support, many Hakka choral compositions or
arrangements exist. The amount of music in Hokkien is relatively small; most are
arrangements of pop songs because they are more popular. Due to the protection
laws and regulations of Aboriginal music, it has caused an impact and restrictions on
publishing. In addition, the indigenous people think that the harmony of Western
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music is different from their tradition, which has caused the aboriginal choral
arrangement to decline. In my opinion, folk song arrangements are initially close to
life, and these factors prevent the current number of overall works from
significantly increasing.

Nieh: Can you define what the characteristics of Taiwanese choral
compositions in the 21
st
Century? How have the choral compositions evolved?

Lin: I think native consciousness has improved; young composers have arranged
many existing compositions into choral versions. In addition, contemporary poetry
can be created or published more systematically, combining literature and music,
another future development feature. In addition, the commissioned works will be
directed and composed according to the conductor’s preferences.

Nieh: Can you tell me who you believe the leading Taiwanese composers are
and why?

Lin: Here are my thoughts:
1. Chou Jenny H. has many Chinese compositions and is very popular in China.
2. Tsai Yu-Shan mainly arranges music and uses Hokkien, Hakka, and aboriginal
works. Since most of them are composed for the Formosa chorus, they have the
highest popularity.
3. Lin Yu-Ling cooperates with Su Julian Chin-Chun, and she also has a lot of choral
works.
4. Shi Ching-Ju's "If Tomorrow is Next Life" has been widely performed, and her.
popularity has dramatically increased.
5. Liu Hsin-Cheng wrote a lot of choral suites, using poetry to compose, and he also
had some choral arrangements.
6. Huang Chun-Da has a lot of choral compositions and arrangements; the standard
is relatively high.
7. Liu Shen-Hsien mainly arranges music for the chorus, especially Taiwanese pop
songs.
8. Lee Meng-Feng and Li Jian-Yu, mostly arrange music, and although the number is
small, the works are also prevalent.
9. Pan Huang-Long, Chieh Nan-Chang, Chao Ching-Wen, and Lin Ching-Mei all teach
in the university's music department, so the art and difficulty of the works are
relatively high, and most of them are commissioned works.

Nieh: What do you hope the choral culture (scene) will look like thirty years
from now (compositions/choirs/conductors) in Taiwan?

Lin: I hope everyone has the concept of copyright, and the choir will take the
initiative to buy the score or copyright for the performance. There can be a
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specialized publisher and editor for choral music. Currently, most of the scores are
published by many choirs themselves. However, I think the choirs should focus on
the performance of music and artistry instead of spending time on publishing. Of
course, I hope there will be exact professional choirs in Taiwan, and at the same
time, Taiwanese choirs can find their direction.

Nieh: Are there any other comments you would like to make?

Lin: Because of Taiwan's unique geographical location, I hope Taiwan becomes the
center of choral music in Asia, making Taiwan a platform connecting Asian
countries. I also hope there will be worldwide seminars such as IFCM or ACDA in
Taiwan in the future.

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Pan Yu-Wen, Interview
September 14, 2022, In-person
Associate Professor, National Taiwan Normal University
Artistic Director, La Voix d'Azur

Nieh Yen-Hsiang: Can you tell me your background and the reason why you
went abroad to study choral music?

Pan Yu-Wen: I have participated in the choir since I was a child. My father is a music
teacher and hoped I could study in the music department. I majored in vocal music
at the Music Department of National Taiwan Normal University. Vocal music and
chorus play an essential proportion in my life. I went abroad for a master's degree in
1990, received my master's degree in 1992, and a Ph.D. in 1997 at the Ohio State
University — my field of study in music education. My university has five areas:
Preschool and elementary school music education, middle school music education,
choral music education, instrumental music education, and music education for
exceptional learning. I chose middle school music education and choral music
education as my major. My research focused on secondary school music education,
providing opportunities for all the students who want to sing.

Nieh: Can you tell me what you are currently engaged in the field of choral
music?

Pan: After I returned to Taiwan in 1997, I taught at National Pingtung Teachers
College for seven years. The school trains teachers at the elementary level. The main
courses that I taught include music teaching methods, choral music pedagogy, and
music education. I also served as a conductor of the university chorus. At the same
time, I was also an adjunct lecturer at the Kaohsiung Normal University, teaching
choral music pedagogy and conducting methods. In addition to being in school, I
also assist in training teachers of choral music education for primary and secondary
schools in southern Taiwan, which is also a starting point for my social music
education career. I returned to Taipei in 2004 and taught at the National Taipei
University of Education for two years. At the same time, I also established my choir
in Taipei. In 2006, I started to teach at the National Taiwan Normal University, a
school that trains secondary education teachers. I work in music education, and my
specialty is the development of voice changes in teenagers. Many voice teachers
were leading the choir in the department, and until 2018, after many voice teachers
retired, I had an opportunity to teach choral courses in the music department. This
year, 2022, for the first time, I will offer a course on choral education in the
university department. I think this is very important so that future teachers can
understand how to lead the choir, make middle school students enjoy singing more,
and cultivate the population of choral music.

129
Nieh: Can you address the development of choral music in Taiwan during the
past thirty years?

Pan: We can see it in choral compositions. Many composers taught and used
universities as bases to promote choral music. For example, Hsiao Tyzen, Chang
Hsuan-Wen, Tai Ching-Chuan, and Chien Shan-Hua all taught at universities. Choral
music is only one of the many types of their music. They have begun to compose
choral music and have choral works in many dialects. In addition, Chien Nan-Chang
mainly focuses on large-scale choral works accompanied by a symphony orchestra,
which is quite representative. In addition, due to the need for folk songs, a group of
non-academic arrangers or composers primarily work in community choirs,
including Tsai Yu-Shan, Lin Yu-Ling, and Chang Shu-Han. Their works are usually
written for the ensembles they serve to sing. Therefore, the repertoire has more
styles and levels, and more people are willing to sing in a choir. In addition, for the
next generation, composers with a degree in composition, such as Chou Jenny H., Shi
Ching-Ju, Jin Shi-Wen, Liu Shen-Hsien, Lin Ching-Mei, Huang Chun-Da, have an
interest in choral music with a professional background and thus produce a lot of
compositions. In addition, due to the composition competitions held by the
government and non-government organizations, many new choral works have been
created, which makes choral music flourish.

However, singing education in schools has gradually declined. Due to the
advancement of technology, students have more tools to enjoy or create music, so
the time for singing education is shortened. In addition, because the government no
longer compels schools to form choirs to participate in competitions, schools have
fewer choir clubs. They participate in competitions in other artistic fields, such as
drama and dance, instead of music. After diversification, the population of choral
music is carving up by other arts.

From the music industry's perspective, in addition to the concert performances of
the choir, there are also many international exchanges. It is based on the foundation
laid in the twentieth century. Choral music lovers at that time have now become
audiences or sponsors. Also, some people participated in senior choir, which is a
trend in Taiwan now. In addition, the vigorous development of the publishing
industry is also an essential factor in the development and progress of Taiwanese
choral music.

Nieh: Do you believe there is a vibrant choral music landscape in Taiwan?

Pan: Yes.

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Nieh: What do you believe has led to this vibrant Taiwanese choral landscape?
(People, choirs, travel, recordings, festivals)

Pan: I think choirs in Taiwan are not so limited now. Some choral conductors start
to compose choral works, and some composers sing in the choir. These roles are like
slashes, but they also create more possibilities and diversity.

Nieh: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of Taiwanese
choral culture in the 21st Century? How might some of the weaknesses be
addressed? (compositions/ arrangements, choirs (schools or academic,
community, semi- professional), festival, recordings, choral competitions. etc.)

Pan: In fact, I think it should be seen from the difficulties rather than the
weaknesses. There are many different concerts, but it is actually challenging to
promote, especially the difficulty in ticket sales. We have cultivated many singers
who love to sing but have yet to foster a population of consumers. I think it is still
necessary to go back to school education. There are few choral repertoires in the
music appreciation of teaching materials, and there is no repertoire special for
middle school students to appreciate. There is a lack of connection with the lives of
these students. Because this needs to be more balanced for educational purposes,
we must strengthen the rooted work of education.

Now commissioned works are prevalent, which is quite good and more acceptable
to the general public. Previously commissioned repertoires were very difficult, and
usually, the premiere was the end. I hope if there is a well-commissioned work, the
composer could arrange it into a different voicing version so that more people can
sing.

Community and senior choirs are growing; I think it is a great area to operate.
However, it is a pity that there are obviously insufficient rehearsal and performance
venues. I also hope there will be more choral activities and even let these choirs
travel and hold concerts in Taiwan, increasing the chorus population.

Of course, due to the global pandemic in recent years, many choral activities have
stagnated, but this is also a new opportunity to start again. I think that especially the
chorus in gifted classes needs more professionals to join. In addition, if there is a
platform database of repertoire, music teachers can have more resources.

Nieh: Do you believe that the aboriginal languages, or dialects (Taiwanese,
Hakka) have influenced the compositional process? Has folk music influenced
the choral compositional processes?

Pan: I think it will bring the composer back to rhyme, and it will give the music a
new spark. Especially these works can be more matched with the lyrics instead of
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only focusing on the pitch and abandoning the language part. In addition, it can be
used to preserve traditions and cultural exchange, which is an essential function.
And it can attract more ethnic groups to sing and find self-identity in the songs.

Nieh: Can you tell me who you believe the leading Taiwanese composers are
and why?

Pan: I mentioned it above.

Nieh: What do you hope the choral culture (scene) will look like thirty years
from now (compositions/choirs/conductors) in Taiwan?

Pan: I think it would be great if it could keep the existing features. I hope that choral
music can be more diverse and maintain interaction and communication in
diversity. Of course, I also hope there will be a choir day or week in Taiwan, so
everyone's life can be full of choral music.

132
Su Julian Chin-Chun, Interview
September 22, 2022, In-person
Associate Professor, Fu Jen Catholic University (Retired in January 2022)
Artistic Director, Formosa Singers

Nieh Yen-Hsiang: Can you tell me your background and the reason why you
went abroad to study choral music?

Su Julian Chin-Chun: You know me, and you can answer this question.

Nieh: Can you tell me what you are currently engaged in the field of choral
music?

Su: Same.

Nieh: Can you address the development of choral music in Taiwan during the
past thirty years?

Su: Many Taiwanese choral compositions can be sung, most of which came out after
2000. You can go to Pana Musica International to get their catalog. In the past, there
were very few a cappella songs in Taiwan, but now there are more and more. For
example, Tsai Yu-Shan also wrote a lot of songs without accompaniment.

Choirs like to sing a cappella songs because they will know if the choir has made
progress after performing them. You will use your ears to listen and try to match
other singers if you sing without a piano. Also, many composers compose more
unaccompanied works due to the trend of the world.

Thirty years ago, the United States felt that it was the whole world and was rarely
influenced by Europe. However, it has been entirely different in the past two
decades. Because of this reason, many American choirs have gone abroad. For
example, when I was studying in the United States, the concepts were still relatively
old-fashioned, and a lot of vibrato singing. When they sang a cappella songs, they
could only hear whether the choir was singing correctly. Their sounds could not get
together because of the habit of singing. I think the United States has overtaken
many places and blazed its own path.

Nieh: Do you believe there is a vibrant choral music landscape in Taiwan?

Su: No. I cannot see the future.

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Nieh: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of Taiwanese
choral culture in the 21st Century? How might some of the weaknesses be
addressed? (compositions/ arrangements, choirs (schools or academic,
community, semi- professional), festival, recordings, choral competitions. etc.)

Su: I think Taiwan has no strengths, but it does have weaknesses. Taiwanese are less
likely to cooperate and always feel they are the best. There are many choral
organizations and institutions in Taiwan. Unlike the United States or Japan, they
have the most important one, mainly holding chorus-related activities. On the other
hand, in Taiwan, most of the choral music-related activities are organized by
government officials who don't understand and can't help the development of
choral music. The National Competition of Folk Song for Teachers and Students is
the only one to help Taiwan's local music development. Unfortunately, it has not
been deeply cultivated. Many schools trained choirs only for competitions. I think
the results mostly come from how much time and effort the conductor has spent.

Nieh: Do you believe that the aboriginal languages, or dialects (Taiwanese,
Hakka) have influenced the compositional process? Has folk music influenced
the choral compositional processes?

Su: You can see it. Seeing the profound impact in the short term may be challenging,
but it will be very different in ten or twenty years. However, it takes work to
develop music with Taiwanese characteristics as well. For example, when a choir
abroad performs, very few compositions can recognize the sound of Taiwanese
choral music because most works are composed with Western harmony techniques.
The more distinctive ones are aboriginal music or Hakka songs, but the issue of
Aboriginal music copyright is difficult to resolve. In addition, although there is a
copyright association in Taiwan, the function is not good, the fees charged are not
returned to the composer, and the whereabouts of the payments received are
unknown. For example, many choirs perform the Formosa Singers' publications, but
the Copyright Society does not give us the fees it receives. Probably because we are
not their members, but it shouldn't be.

Nieh: Can you define what the characteristic of Taiwanese choral
compositions in the 21st Century? How have the choral compositions evolved?

Su: As mentioned earlier, Aboriginal or Hakka music is likelier to become
characteristic of Taiwanese choral compositions. However, it is still limited by the
copyright issues mentioned above and the concept of composers. Loh I-Toh has
arranged many works which are also unique. You can tell that they are not Western
works. Still, his music is relatively complicated. Loh avoids the tertian harmony from
Western harmony and becomes mostly quartal harmony, which makes choir singing
more difficult. Therefore, his works have received little popularity in Taiwan. He has
studied Asian music for a long time, especially Indonesian music, so his works often
134
have such styles. However, the Hokkien is unsuitable for fast speech, making it
relatively difficult to sing. Components have a more significant influence on the
development of Taiwanese choral music, but they cannot live on composing.
Taiwan's folk songs are distinctive, but the number is still relatively small.

Nieh: Can you tell me who you believe the leading Taiwanese composers are
and why?

Su: I am only familiar with the people who have worked with me for a long time.

Tsai Yu-Shan mainly arranges music. Basically, her arrangements are written for the
Formosa Singers. Because she also serves as a pianist or sings with the choir, her
works are more effective. Also, since the Formosa Choir sang a lot of a cappella
pieces, she wrote many unaccompanied works for this ensemble. I've always
wanted composers to sing with the choir so that they could hear the sounds
produced by the choir.
Lin Yu-Ling is the collaborative pianist for the Joyful Female Choir, so her music is
mainly in equal voices, and she primarily creates the lyrics and music by herself. If a
work is good, I will ask her to arrange it to be a mixed choir version. The
disadvantage of Lin's music is that sometimes it is not easy to sing because she did
not consider if it is easier for the singer to sing. However, it is getting better and
better because I discuss it with her during our work of rehearsals.

Shi Ching-Ju is a professional composer, but most of her works are instrumental
music. When she writes choral works, she sometimes thinks with the sound of
instrumental music, so the accompaniment part of her works is relatively difficult.
Also, she likes to write long intros and endings, so her music cannot be popular. She
has a few a cappella works.

135
Weng Chia-Fen, Interview
September 5, 2022, In-person
Professor, National Sun Yat-sen University
President, Taiwan Choral Association

Nieh Yen-Hsiang: Can you tell me your background and the reason why you
went abroad to study choral music?

Weng Chia-Fen: I got my bachelor's degree in vocal art and a master's degree in
instrumental conducting from the Music Department at the National Taiwan Normal
University. I participated in the school choir from I was a child until university.
When I applied for the doctoral program in choral and instrumental conducting, all
the schools that got admission were choral conducting. Maybe the committee also
thought I was more suitable for choral conducting, so I chose choral conducting as
my major for my DMA degree at the University of Texas at Austin. Because no
schools provided a master's degree in choral conducting at that time in Taiwan, it
was necessary to go abroad to obtain a systematic learning method.

Nieh: Can you tell me what you are currently engaged in the field of choral
music?

Weng: I returned to Taiwan in 1996 and began to teach at the Music Department of
National Sun Yat-sen University. It was also the first school to offer a master's
degree in choral music education in Taiwan. My main job has been teaching in
universities since 1996. In 2000, I also started as an adjunct professor at the Music
Department of the National Taiwan Normal University. My responsibility was to
teach choral conducting and choral literature. In addition, I am also the artistic
director of the Kaohsiung Chamber Choir. Since 2016, I have also served as the
president of the Taiwan Choral Association.

Nieh: Can you address the development of choral music in Taiwan during the
past thirty years?

Weng: Two important reasons are the release of Martial Law and the return of
professional choral experts to Taiwan. It can be said that Taiwanese choral music
began to diversify after Dirk DuHei came back from the United States. Then, Chen
Yun-Hung and Su Julian Chin-Chun returned to Taiwan one after another. Since the
release of Martial Law in Taiwan in 1987, the cultural environment has become
more liberal. The school education system has gradually started to have a master's
degree in choral conducting because of the return of professionals. Currently, many
Taiwanese hold a master's degree in choral conducting. So, Taiwanese choirs have
more opportunities to be led by professional choral conductors. Because a
professional conductor leads the ensemble, the conductor will also start to think
136
about the choir's repertoire. In addition to having diverse international repertoires,
the chorus has begun to commission works or participate in international choral
festivals, symposia, and competitions. Therefore, more diverse repertoires have
been introduced into Taiwan. Over the past 30 years, a significant breakthrough has
been made in expanding the choral repertoire in Taiwan. Also, advances in
technology have stimulated the development of choral music.

Nieh: What do you believe has led to this vibrant Taiwanese choral landscape?
(People, choirs, travel, recordings, festivals)

Weng: In the past thirty years, Taiwan has produced many excellent choirs, and
there are also many representative choirs in various cities, which is very good. But
also because of the atmosphere of liberalism, singing is no longer essential learning
in school music education, so the number of choirs in many schools is shrinking,
which will also be a concern for the future.

Nieh: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of Taiwanese
choral culture in the 21st Century? How might some of the weaknesses be
addressed? (compositions/ arrangements, choirs (schools or academic,
community, semi- professional), festival, recordings, choral competitions. etc.)

Weng: Because Taiwan is an island, it is easy to absorb new cultures. However,
because Taiwan has always been unstable regarding historical development and
political status until now, it still cannot develop with a very safe mentality, so it is
difficult to have a long-term culture. Fortunately, after the release of Martial Law,
Taiwan is at least culturally free, so the choirs have a more open mind than in other
countries regarding repertoire selection and performance form. The biggest
problem in Taiwan now is the rapid decline in the population of younger singers,
which is also aging. The reason is that people born in the 1950s and 1960s are now
retired. They had a good singing education when they were young, so the senior
chorus has become a kind of mainstream. But it is an unhealthy development and
should be balanced for all age groups. At the same time, the Christian population in
Taiwan is not large, and the singing habit of choral singing is rare among young
people in

Nieh: Do you believe that the aboriginal languages, or dialects (Taiwanese,
Hakka) have influenced the compositional process? Has folk music influenced
the choral compositional processes?

Weng: I believe that every country tries to preserve its ethnic music. With the
support of the Hakka Affairs Council and the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan
has preserved its heritage through choral singing. However, the arrangement is
relatively simple, primarily tonal music, with only the same appearance. If
137
foreigners do not understand their music, they may find it boring. In addition, most
of the composers were collaborative pianists. The number of songs created for the
educational system is relatively small.

Nieh: Can you define what the characteristics of Taiwanese choral
compositions in the 21st Century? How have the choral compositions evolved?

Weng: Actually, most of the Taiwanese choral compositions in the twenty-first
century are still developing according to the commissioned works. For example, the
Taipei Chamber Singers attaches great importance to developing modern music
sounds, the Formosa Singers devotes itself to preserving traditional songs, and the
Taipei Philharmonic Chorus attaches great importance to large-scale choral works
with orchestra. Recently, the government has also begun to attach significance to
comprehensive arts, such as commissioned operas. Each ensemble will also
commission songs from local composers, leaving their own sounds.

Nieh: Can you produce a list of significant composers and arrangers from
Taiwan?

Weng: Here is my list-
Hsiao Tyzen, Ma Shui-Long, Hsu Tsang-Houei, Chien Nan-Chang, Jin Shi-Wen, Lin Yu-
Ling, Tsai Yu-Shan, Lin Ching-Mei, Chen Mei-Chun, Shi Ching-Ju, Chou Jenny H., Jen
Tien-Hao, Liu Shen-Hsien, Lin Ming-Chieh, Huang Chun-Da.

Nieh: What do you hope the choral culture (scene) will look like thirty years
from now (compositions/choirs/conductors) in Taiwan?

Weng: I hope that the government pays more attention to cultivating choral music
talents. I am worried about the population of choir singers in the future. Also, I hope
that Taiwan can have teaching materials for choral music in the education system so
that choral education can have a basis and materials before high school levels. At the
same time, I also hope that more people who like to sing in a choir will become
composers.

138
Yang I-Chen, Interview
August 21, 2022, In-person
Artistic Director, Taichung Chamber Choir
Artistic Director, Chorus Taiwan

Nieh Yen-Hsiang: Can you tell me your background and the reason why you
went abroad to study choral music?

Yang I-Chen: I joined the choir in the third grade of elementary school until now,
and it is an essential part of my life. I started to study music at university and served
as a choir conductor. Because my school is a teacher's university, I need to be an
intern for one year at an elementary school level and work as a music teacher for
four years after graduation. So, I started to conduct a children's choir in elementary
school and began to realize choral education for children. In 2002, I conducted the
Da-Yuan Elementary School Choir to participate in the World Choir Olympics in
Busan, South Korea. I saw many world-class choirs, stimulating my desire to
continue my studies. Encouraged by Chen Yun-Hung, I entered the Westminster
Choir College and received a master's degree in choral conducting.

Nieh: Can you tell me what you are currently engaged in the field of choral
music?

Yang: My job content is very diverse. Currently, I am the artistic director of the
Taichung Chamber Choir, and it is a full-time choral job. In addition, I also serve as
the artistic director of Chorus Taiwan, the only organization in Taiwan that
promotes choral education from children to adults. The target of Chorus Taiwan is
choral teachers (conductors or general music teachers), hoping to promote choral
music development through this organization. In addition, I also serve as an adjunct
lecturer in the Music Department of National Tsing Hua University, and I am the
director of the opera chorus of the National Opera House, assisting in the training
and performance of the opera chorus.

Nieh: Can you address the development of choral music in Taiwan during the
past thirty years?

Yang: I think the development of choral music in Taiwan has changed very quickly
in the past thirty years. Dirk DuHei first returned to Taiwan from his studies in the
United States. He led the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus to promote choral music and,
at the same time, introduced excellent choral music from abroad to Taiwan. Then a
group of professionals such as Weng Chia-Fen, Pan Yu-Wen, Liang Serene Show-
Ling, Chen Yun-Hung, and Su Julian Chin-Chun returned to Taiwan after receiving a
degree in choral music from the United States. They broke away from traditional
thinking and began to drive the trend of choral music in Taiwan. Especially they
139
encouraged Taiwanese choirs to start performing Western classic large-scale choral
works or new works. These extraordinary sounds deeply attract me. Around 2000,
many new ensembles were established to flourish in Taiwan, but only in the
northern. After I returned to Taiwan in 2008, many new choirs began to be created
in the central and southern areas. In addition, I think the support from the
government is also a significant factor, allowing the choir to have more financial
support for its operation. Later, Lin Chun-Lung, the chairman of Pana Musica
International, advocated the concept of paying attention to the copyright of choral
music, and composers can get more support. The development of Taiwanese choral
music in the past thirty years has been a giant leap.

Nieh: Do you believe there is a vibrant choral music landscape in Taiwan?
Yang: Yes.

Nieh: What do you believe has led to this vibrant Taiwanese choral landscape?
(People, choirs, travel, recordings, festivals)

Yang: I think the choral directors of our generation are quite united, and they will
support each other's activities and share resources. Therefore, they will be more
positive and successful in promoting choral activities. In addition, I think the
characteristics of Taiwanese include hard work, enthusiasm, full of learning ability,
innovation and creativity, and active participation in various international activities
makes Taiwan's choral music environment full of vitality. The excitement of the
Taiwanese has given international choral experts invited to Taiwan a good
impression of Taiwan, and they are willing to share their expertise. Such
international exchanges are more beneficial to the development of Taiwanese choral
music. I believe that Taiwan will become a significant key point in the international
choral music arena in the future.

Nieh: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of Taiwanese
choral culture in the 21st Century? How might some of the weaknesses be
addressed? (compositions/ arrangements, choirs (schools or academic,
community, semi- professional), festival, recordings, choral competitions. etc.)

Yang: Taiwan is a country with a vibrant cultural heritage. Due to the diversity of
Taiwanese culture and its tolerance, the public can accept all kinds of folksongs.
Also, it will be a unique sound that foreigners do not often hear on the international
stage. However, I am worried about how to continue to pass on this culture to the
next generation. Due to the declining birth rate and the emphasis on disciplines in
school education, the focus on art education has been reduced. Therefore, our
organization, Chorus Taiwan, has started to do a lot of social education promotion,
turning it into a social responsibility. With many professional art groups assisting
140
the government from non-governmental organizations, we may be able to solve this
problem.

Nieh: Do you believe that the aboriginal languages, or dialects (Taiwanese,
Hakka) have influenced the compositional process? Has folk music influenced
the choral compositional processes?

Yang: The first is the vigorous promotion by the government. In fact, many
Aboriginal or dialect choral music has begun to be valued by everyone, such as
composition competitions, choir competitions, or folksong competitions. Many new
composers are emerging, and they will compose many new works. The second is the
music competition held by the Ministry of Education. There will be a great demand
for choral works as long as there is competition. At present, dialect elective courses
are in elementary and middle school curricula, encouraging everyone to learn
dialects. It thus drives dialects choral compositions for the commissioned. Take an
example of us, the Taichung Chamber Choir; we will choose songs in dialects that
are popular with the public and commission composers to arrange them or use
poems in dialect to create new works. The third is that when Taiwanese choirs go
abroad for competitions or performances, to show Taiwanese characteristics, we
will commission composers to write or arrange pieces in these dialects, resulting in
a massive increase in the output of choral works.

Nieh: Can you define what the characteristics of Taiwanese choral
compositions in the 21st Century? How have the choral compositions evolved?

Yang: Here are some of my thoughts-
1. There were many arrangements of campus folk songs and folk songs.
2. The new choral work is created with literary poetry.
3. Because of the resolution of pop songs copyright issues, more composers
arranged pop songs into choral versions to attract young people to like choral
music.
4. The Taiwan Choral Music Center began to promote the A cappella (vocal band),
making this music flourish.
5. The Taipei Chamber Choir has performed many academic or challenging
contemporary choral works.
6. With the advancement of Internet technology, it becomes easier to obtain new
repertoire information. Taiwanese Composers received stimuli to compose. In
addition, many composers returned to Taiwan after studying in the West,
enriching the sound of choral music.
7. Taiwanese composers began to compose some Western religious music.

141
Nieh: Can you produce a list of significant composers and arrangers from
Taiwan?
Yang: The following is my list:
1. Chao Ching-Wen: She had professional academic training. Because of her status as
a Taiwan representative of the International Composers Association, her works
have been recognized internationally.
2. Shi Ching-Ju: Provide a new look at choral works in dialect.
3. Zen Tien-Hao: He started as a choir member and turned to compose. He is a cross-
field composer and has a lot of musical works.
4. Tsai Yu-Shan: She is a pianist, and most of her works are choral arrangements.
She has provided many arrangements for Hokkien, Hakka, and Aboriginal songs.
Almost all choirs in Taiwan have performed her music.
5. Lin Yu-Ling: She also started composing choral works as a pianist, primarily
works for female voices, and wrote many songs for children.
6. Liu Shen-Hsien: Because he works in the pop music industry, he also arranged
many popular songs into choral versions. Also, he composed many original
compositions. In addition, the Taichung Chamber Choir commissioned him to
write new choral works.
7. Huang Chun-Da: He is a composer of the younger generation, and he also has a
large number of compositions and arrangements.
8. Chang Shu-Han: She started from the perspective of a collaborative pianist while
composing. Her choral works are also excellent in the piano accompaniment part.
9. Chou Jenny H.: She has many compositions and arrangements.
10. Yu Zhong-Yuan: I think he has been the best composer in Taiwan in the past
three years and is currently in China.
11. Gao Zhu-Lan: He is a composer combining Chinese Opera Musical Theater with
his composition.
12. Liu Hsin-Cheng: He collaborated with the National Taiwan University Chorus.

Nieh: What do you hope the choral culture (scene) will look like thirty years
from now (compositions/choirs/conductors) in Taiwan?

Yang: I hope that Taiwan will become a significant country for choral music
development in the world. Due to the advancement of Internet technology in
Taiwan, I believe Taiwan will be an important place for choral music on the world
stage. Also, I hope that the language used in Taiwan can become a subject that
countries worldwide want to study, and that Taiwan's language is more
international.

Nieh: Are there any other comments you would like to make?

Yang: I established the Chorus Taiwan after leading the Taichung Chamber Choir to
win the gold medal in an international competition (it was also the first gold medal
in an international competition won by a chorus in Taichung). The goal is to
142
outreach choral music and foster local conductors and teachers, hoping to make
more resources available in central Taiwan.

Abstract (if available)

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Asset Metadata

Creator Nieh, Yen-Hsiang (author)

Core Title The development of Taiwanese choral music in the twenty-first century

School Thornton School of Music

Degree Doctor of Musical Arts

Degree Program Choral Music

Degree Conferral Date 2023-05

Publication Date 04/14/2023

Defense Date 03/29/2023

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Choral Music,Development,OAI-PMH Harvest,Taiwan,Taiwanese,Taiwanese composers,twenty-first century

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Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Scheibe, Jo-Michael (committee chair), Grases, Cristian (committee member), Sparks, Tram (committee member)

Creator Email yenhsiang.nieh@gmail.com,ynieh@usc.edu

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