"As a woman, I'd like to say—" Cheng Tang ＆ Hsin-Yun Wu
Musician ：Cheng Tang ＆ Hsin-Yun Wu
In a historical stage dominated by a single gender,
women creators, constrained yet unable to hide their brilliance,
let the melodies and notes at their fingertips softly illuminate daily life.
Violinist Hsin-Yun Wu and pianist Chen Tang gather works by female composers from different eras,
some gentle and delicate, others rebellious and intense, and some breathtakingly powerful.
From a modern female perspective and language,
they interpret the myriad splendors within the limited world seen by women of their times.
As a woman, I want to say...
"There is no need to hurry. There is no need to shine brightly. There is no need to be anyone but yourself."
— Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own
♫ Concert Program and Content
┊Lili Boulanger: Nocturne for violin and piano
┊Lili Boulanger: D’un Matin de Printemps
┊Louise Farrenc: Violin Sonata No. 2, Op. 39
I: Allegro Grazioso
II: Scherzo
III: Adagio
IV: Allegro
- Intermission -
┊Cécile Chaminade: Capriccio Op. 18, in e minor
┊Clara Schumann: 3 Romances for violin and piano, op.22, No.3, Leidenschaftlich schnell
┊Amy Beach: Romance for Violin and Piano, Op. 23
┊Germaine Tailleferre: Violin Sonata No. 1
I: Modere sans lenteur
II: Scherzo, Pas tres vite et sans rigueur
III:Assez lent
Final: Tres vite
*The organizer reserves the right to change the program content.*
♫ Registration Information
✻ Performance Information
│ Date: April 16, 2023 (Sunday)
│ Time: Doors open at 13:30, performance starts at 14:00
│ Location: Debussy Music Art Center (No. 16, Lane 23, Rui'an Street, Da'an District, Taipei City)
✻ Ticket Prices
│ Regular Price: NT$450, Debussy member discount NT$250
│ Early Bird Discount: NT$400, available until April 3 (Monday)
✻ Ticket Purchase Deadline: Until April 15, 2023, 24:00. (Limited availability, please register early)
♫ Suitable Audience
・Those interested in piano and violin
・Those interested in classical music and works by female composers
・Those on the journey of music learning
MUSICIAN
Pianist： Cheng Tang
Born in 1996, began studying piano and violin at the age of five. Piano training was guided by Ms. Hsiao Su-Yin and Professor Lin Ji-Ying, with masterclasses attended under the tutelage of distinguished artists including Ranko Markovic, Marialena Fernandes, Aquiles Delle Vigne, Akira Eguchi, Massimiliano Ferrati, Alon Goldstein, Michael Oelbaum, Victor Rosenbaum, Eduard Zilberkant, Arthur Greene, Ann Schein, Corey McVicar, and Christopher Harding.
Achievements and Academic Milestones:
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2011: Won first prize in the Taoyuan Cultural Cup and was invited to perform a solo recital at the Taoyuan Cultural Bureau. Ranked first in entrance exams to Wuling High School's music program.
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2012: Won first place in the Hong Kong Asia-Pacific Piano Competition (Taiwan region).
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2014: Represented Wuling High School at the Taoyuan City Government's Grand Piano Opening Ceremony and participated in a masterclass under Ranko Markovic, President of the Vienna Conservatory of Music, at the Taoyuan Cultural Bureau. Admitted to both the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) Department of Music and Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA) Music Department, choosing NTNU for studies.
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2016: Won first place in the Northern Region Piano Competition and second place nationally. Invited to record Prokofiev's Sarcasms Op. 17 at the Tainan Nota Music Hall. Performed solo recitals at Wen Shui Art Center, Fu Zhou Hall at TNUA, Da Hsia Hall at Chinese Culture University, and NTNU's Department of Music Concert Hall during undergraduate years.
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2018: Accepted into Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with a scholarship to pursue a master's degree in piano performance, studying under Karen Shaw and Edward Auer. Served as a class and rehearsal accompanist for the Ballet Department, collaborating closely with Christian Claessens, Carla Körbes, Kyra Nichols, and Sarah Wroth.
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2020: Earned a Master of Music degree and returned to Taiwan to focus on piano teaching and performance.
Violinist ：Hsin-Yun Wu
Born in 1995, began studying violin at the age of five. Received training under Mr. Lee Chih-Chien, Ms. Hsieh Mi-Chen, and Mr. Huang Han-Min. Further refined skills through masterclasses with Nai-Yuan Hu, Chee-Yang Shueh, Myung-Sik Doh, Su Hsien-Ta, Victor Pikaizen, Gérard Poulet, Christophe Boulier, Roland Daugareil, Amaury Coeytaux, Eyal Kless, Vesselin Paraschkevov, and Yair Kless.
Achievements and Academic Journey:
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2009: Won first prize in the junior division of the 8th Taiwan String Orchestra Violin Competition. Selected as a violin student for the 4th Council for Cultural Affairs Music Talent Bank program.
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2011: Gained direct admission to the music program at Wuling High School.
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2012: Attended the Salzburg Summer Music Academy, where Professor Yair Kless recognized and recommended him.
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2013: Pursued advanced studies under Professor Yair Kless at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz) in Austria.
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2017: Graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree, achieving unanimous top marks from the jury.
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2018: Admitted to the Master’s program at the Cologne University of Music and Dance (Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln), studying with Professor Mikhail Ovrutsky.
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2019: Secured a position as an intern with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne.
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2020: Toured with the Gürzenich Orchestra in Munich, Hamburg, Lyon, and London. In July, graduated with top honors, earning a Master of Music degree.
Current Positions:
Teaching violin and leading string ensembles at Taoyuan Cultural Elementary School, Taoyuan Yi-Xing Elementary School, and the music program at Hsinchu Dongmen Elementary School.
Trailer
This photo, these names—how many can you recognize?
In their time, being an exceptional woman was not enough.
One needed a will of steel, relentless effort, and unparalleled courage to showcase their talents and have a chance to be heard.
They were pioneers of their era, leaving their mark in music history with notes; however, hundreds of years have passed, and their names have faded, gradually losing their unique voices and stories to time.
Through the interpretations of violinist Wu Hsin-Yun and pianist Tang Chen, let us listen together to the melodies submerged in the torrent of history.
With a modern perspective, let’s rediscover the female composers of the 19th and 20th centuries and their world.
Recap Video
"As a woman, I'd like to say—" the behind-the-scenes video of the Cheng Tang ＆ Hsin-Yun Wu duet concert is out!
With the performances of violinist Hsin-Yun Wu and pianist Chen Tang, we hear the brilliant moments left by six female composers in history through their music, allowing us to glimpse the dazzling world they inhabited.
Let’s revisit the wonderful afternoon of the concert through the video once again.
Concert Reviews – Photo Recap
The first concert of the year, "As a Woman, I Want to Say—" featuring the duo Wu Xin-Yun & Tang Chen, successfully concluded with the support and companionship of many music lovers.
The two musicians, Tang Chen and Wu Xin-Yun, have been close friends since childhood. Their many years of friendship and mutual understanding inspired them to center the concert around intimate conversations between close friends, which then extended to dialogues among women. They began collecting works by female composers and interpreted these pieces from a modern female perspective, using music to engage in conversations with each other, the composers, and the audience.
This was our first attempt to combine an exhibition with the concert, displaying framed photos and quotes from six outstanding female composers around the center, allowing the audience to immerse themselves more deeply through their images and words.
Music conveys the world as seen by the composers. In an era when women faced many restrictions, we thank every generation of women for their brave voices, enabling us to glimpse the beautiful landscapes through their eyes via music.
We also thank the audience who shared such an intimate and warm afternoon with us.
As the weather warms up, Debussy Music & Arts Center has a full schedule of events this summer. We look forward to meeting you in the near future.
♫ Organizer: Debussy Music & Arts Center
♫ Photography and Planning: Debussy Music & Arts Center Design Team — Yang Meng-Jie, Yang Meng-Hsuan
♫ Copywriting and Design: Debussy Music & Arts Center Design Team — Cheng Meng-Han