The recipient of the 28th National Cultural Award in 2009 is:
Hsiao Tyzen is known as Taiwan's Rachmaninoff and the Master Romanticist of the Orient. He is not only a brilliant pianist and conductor, but also a composer and outstanding teacher of many students who have gone on to become world-class performers in their own right. His compositions are well-known in contemporary music, yet they also contain strong Taiwanese characteristics.
In his music, Hsiao's harmonic techniques fuse unpretentious Taiwanese folk music with the timeless rhythms of modern classical music. Passionate, expressive melodies flow through his creations with grace and ease. The world has progressed deep into contemporary styles of the 20th and 21st centuries, yet Hsiao retains his profound love of 19th century Romanticism.
Taiwan is a land of abundant cultural assets, boasting indigenous music, traditional Chinese music, traditional folk and temple music, and Taiwanese opera. However, it was Hsiao who brought these Taiwanese ingredients into the realm of contemporary international classical music.
Hsiao’s notable achievement in his three concerti, respectively for violin, cello, and piano, is in his use of the double-fifth, which is also known as "Hsiao’s Fifth," to perfectly manipulate the dissonance that occurs when integrating the pentatonic melodies of Taiwanese folk music with the heptatonic harmonics of Western classical music.
Such mature and innovative techniques enable listeners from different countries and backgrounds to enjoy Hsiao's everlasting heritage in the domain of Taiwanese music.