Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalist

Attempts at performances combining Chinese and Western instruments have been going on for years, but performances that make you pound the table and also manage to leave a lasting impression are rare indeed. Here, creatively conceived compositions go hand in hand with dexterous instrumental skills, and the distinctive timbre of the trombone ingeniously combines with the rich acoustic textures of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. According to the demands of different pieces, horn and woodwind soloists offer lifelike renditions of Peking Opera and Mongolian vocal styles. Meanwhile, hints of theatrical techniques endow an otherwise static stage setting with extreme tension. When playing around with world music styles that cut across cultures, it is extremely easy to stick to form. By intensively deconstructing multiple traditions, this concert eloquently hammers out an artwork of both flesh and blood.   

( Committee member/ Fan, Wei-Zi)

Artwork Introduction

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Finalists

2009-The 8th Taishin Arts AwardFinalists    

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Taipei Chinese Orchestra[ Christian Lindberg and TCO ]    

Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

The concert Christian Lindberg and Taipei Chinese Orchestra took place on December 12, 2009 at Taipei Zhongshan Hall Square. TCO develops pioneering programs that test the boundaries of Chinese music performance. Their collaboration with Sweden’s BIS Records culminated in a series of concerts called New Dynamic of Innovative Chinese Music. Acclaimed trombonist Christian Lindberg was invited to perform with TCO as part of this series.

Sweden’s BIS Records, one of the liveliest contemporary music labels recognized for its superior recording sound quality, has an ongoing collaboration with TCO. Together, they released their first album Whirling Dance, a flute concerto with TCO in April 2009. This groundbreaking collaboration and its success make its landmark in Chinese music recording history. To coincide with the new release of their third album, Christian Lindberg & TCO, they held the preview concert of the same name.

Christian Lindberg is a Swedish trombone virtuoso. With his exceptional technique and exuberant theatricality, he was the first to make the trombone a solo instrument. He is a distinguished composer as well, and has composed Gundraan for himself to play with TCO.

During this world premiere concert in Taipei, he performed Recueillement, Mongolian Fantasy and The Wild Rose which were all composed especially for him. Mongolian Fantasy is based on traditional Mongolian folk songs Senjidema and Ga Da Merlin and the piece ends with Chung, Yiu-Kwong’s own composition A Hundred Horses. Lindberg uses his trombone to imitate the famous Mongolian khoomei style of singing and playing, using pedal tone and overtone singing techniques to create a rich and colorful virtuoso-like sound. In his performance of Chung, Yiu-Kwong’s Cursing General Caocao, he makes his trombone imitate the vocals of Beijing Opera. Not only did his groundbreaking concert with TCO successfully blend the sound of Western and Eastern instrumental music, but it also inspires a new musical genre.

About the Artist

The Taipei Chinese Orchestra (TCO) was established in 1979 by the Department of Education, Taipei City Government. Since November 1999, TCO has been affiliated with Taipei’s Department of Cultural Affairs. In December 2001, TCO moved to its permanent residence in Zhongshan Hall.

TCO holds approximately fifty concerts annually and performs at the Taipei Traditional Arts Festival. TCO has been very active in international cultural exchange activities and has toured both locally and internationally.

TCO publishes the bimonthly magazine SILK ROAD and organizes the annual National Chinese Instrumental Competition and Summer Camp. TCO has also established seven affiliated musical youth organizations.