The 2017 Taiwan International Music Festival (TIMF) unfolded across Taipei, Yilan, and Pingtung, presenting nine days of music concerts from April 15 through 23.
Organized by the Taiwan Music Institute, the festival titled "Tradition on the Wing” presented the value of tradition and its various possibilities through a series of music performed by Taiwanese and international musicians.
In collaboration with South Korea's Jeonju International Sori Festival, a "Korea Focus” section featured Miyeon & Park's arirang large ensemble led by Korean heavyweight music director Park Je-chun (朴在千).
The Korean ensemble partnered with Taiwan's aboriginal Taiwu Ancient Ballads Troupe (泰武古謠傳唱) to present symphonic music that integrates Paiwan ballads, Korean folk songs, sinawi music, jazz, rock, and avant-garde music in Pingtung.
The "Beyond Border - Korea” concert featured works by award-winning Korean jazz band Asian Scholars that combined national Korean music with contemporary arrangements.
The "Beyond Border - Taiwan” concert then presented interdisciplinary music produced by Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Art and Music winners Huang Yu-ling (黃宇琳) and Lu Yun (陸橒).
To showcase how traditional music has evolved in recent years, the French Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (ICRAM) presented "Electronic Sound of Paris Night,” a production that incorporates science, sound art, and body movement.
Fellow French group, the Paris-based All For Contemporary Music (Tout Pour la Musique Contemporaine), joined Taiwanese erhu soloist Wang Ying-chien (王瀅絜) and performed for the concert "A Moment for Music Pursuers.”
In addition, Taiwanese composers Chen Cheng-wen (陳政文) and Chen Heng (陳珩) were selected to collaborate with TMPC to create music by applying technology to traditional music and instruments.
A special segment this year featured the TIMF band. Formed by musicians of the Taiwan Music Institute's Discipleship program and led by Germany-based Taiwanese conductor Lin Liao (廖曉玲), the TIMF band performed works by leading Hungarian composer Peter Eotvos and those who have participated in his training program, including young Taiwanese composers Liu Wei-chih (劉韋志) and Lin Chia-ying (林佳瑩).
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the "Sunflower Music Association (向日葵樂會)” formed by veteran musicians such as Ma Shui-long (馬水龍), Chen Mau-liang (陳懋良), Shen Chin-tang (沈錦堂) Lai Deh-ho (賴德和), and Wen Lung-hsin (溫隆信), additional concerts were performed by young musicians as tribute to Taiwan's musical masters.