Noted Taiwanese opera musician Lin Zhu-an (林竹岸) passed away on Oct. 8 at the age of 88. Minister of Culture Shih Che offered his condolences upon hearing this news and instructed the MOC to assist in applying for a posthumous presidential citation in recognition of Lin’s lifelong devotion to preserving and promoting the music of Taiwanese opera.
Born in Yunlin County in 1936, Lin founded the Min Kuan Taiwanese Opera Troupe (民權歌劇團) in Taipei in 1970 and was renowned for playing backstage music for Taiwanese opera, also known as koa-a-hi (歌仔戲). Having experienced the change in Taiwanese opera in different eras, such as open-air performance, indoor theater, radio, film, and television, he was familiar with multiple styles of accompaniment and developed a unique performing technique. In addition, he was famous for his flexibility because he could adjust according to the needs of the performers by playing different instruments.
Lin’s whole life mirrors the development and transformation of Taiwanese opera. Due to his remarkable contribution, Lin was recognized by the New Taipei City Government as a preserver of traditional performing arts in 2010. He was appointed by MOC in 2018 as a culture bearer of the important traditional performing arts, also known as the “national living treasure”. Backed by MOC, he had engaged in an apprenticeship project as a mentor since 2019 to teach the younger generation about Taiwanese opera accompaniment music, tirelessly dedicating himself to this traditional art form.