Chinese Name: 曾道雄
Born: Nov. 26, 1939
Birthplace: Changhua County (Central Taiwan)
Did You Know That…?
Tseng Dau-hsiong is one of the pioneers of Taiwan’s opera art. As a multi-talent musician, he plays various roles in his career including teacher, baritone, opera conductor, opera director, composer, playwright, and commentator.
Tseng Dau-hsiong is a renowned baritone and opera director from Taiwan. In 1956, he was admitted to the Taichung Teachers College and studied world literature, immersed in the works of Shakespeare, Goethe, Maupassant, and Hugo, igniting his interest in theater. At the same time, he began learning music performance. For Tseng, the three-year period at the college helped to build a solid foundation in literature, theater, and music. In 1962, he went to the National Taiwan Normal University to study vocal music, paving his way for future endeavors.
In 1969, Tseng furthered his studies in vocal music and musical performance at the Madrid Royal Conservatory in Spain, mentored by accomplished vocalists F. Navarette and M. V. Angelos. His quest for mastery led him to California, U.S., in 1970, where he apprenticed under the musical maestro Jan Popper, honing his skills in musical singing, conducting, and directing.
Returning to Taiwan in 1972, Tseng assumed a faculty position at the National Taiwan Normal University Music Department while concurrently teaching musical courses at several schools including the National Taiwan Academy of Arts (now National Taiwan University of Arts), Chinese Culture University, Shih Chien College of Home Economics (now Shih Chien University). To promote opera education among teenagers, he began writing Chinese musicals in 1999 and connected them with themes such as suburban living and environmental awareness.
Due to his remarkable contributions to music education in Taiwan, Tseng was awarded the National Award for Arts in 2011. In 2023, he was bestowed with the prestigious Wu San-Lien Award (吳三連獎), one of the highest honors in arts and literature in the country.