Ministry of Culture-Performance Venues & Architectural Heritage

Did You Know That ... ?

• Hsiao Tyzen (蕭泰然, 1938 - 2015) was a composer, pianist, and conductor who composed close to 100 pieces, including symphonies and ensemble pieces, throughout his life.

• He is known for his fusion of Taiwanese and international music traditions, and many of his vocal works are set to poems written in Taiwanese.

• Some of his famous pieces include:

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• The Sound of Taiwan〈臺灣頌〉
• The Sojourner〈出外人〉
• Fantasy Heng-chun Melody〈夢幻的恆春小調〉
• Meditation〈冥想曲〉
• Father's Ink Brush〈爸爸的筆〉
• Mother's Hair〈阿母的頭鬘〉
• A Starry Silent Night〈靜夜星空〉
• The Formosa Trio Op. 58《福爾摩沙》鋼琴三重奏
• Mei Folksong, Love Story, Harvest, and Final《原住民鋼琴五重奏》
• The Angel from Formosa《來自福爾摩沙的天使》
• Formosa Symphony, Opus 49《福爾摩沙》
• 1947 Overture《1947序曲》

The late musician was widely known as "Taiwan's Rachmaninoff."

Born on Jan. 1, 1938 in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung, he studied music at the National Taiwan Normal University and the Musashino Music University in Japan before relocating to the United States in 1977.

He is best known for his epic "1947 Overture," which was composed in 1993.

His other memorable pieces include a number of works for solo instruments, chamber ensembles, and choirs.

While composing his magnum opus, Hsiao was hospitalized because of an aorta artery aneurysm rupture and almost died, but he recovered after undergoing heart surgery and went on to complete the work.

For his lifelong dedication to Taiwan’s music, he received the National Award for Arts and the National Cultural Award.

He passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 77 in 2015 after battling lung cancer for two years. He was awarded a posthumous presidential citation.