International Master Series 1:

Taipei Chamber Singers launches the International Masters Series
with former Artistic Director and conductor Yun-Hung Chen as special guest,
opening the series with a program of real substance!

The program is designed to progress and intersect across eras and styles, setting the tranquil and austere against the warm and fervent. The first half centers on the Renaissance polyphony of Tomás Luis de Victoria and the minimalist sacred music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt; through chants to the Lord of the universe sung by pure voices, it brings solace and calm to hearts in the post-pandemic era. The second half presents “Sailors’ Hymn: Mare Liberum Wawa,” an ocean-themed commissioned work by Europe-based Taiwanese composer Li-Ying Wu, which links the Latin text of the 17th-century Mare Liberum (The Freedom of the Seas) with Tao children’s songs, singing of respect and freedom between humanity and the ocean; and Johann Sebastian Bach’s motet Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227, offered as a prayer for the world.

Over many years at the helm of Taipei Chamber Singers, conductor Yun-Hung Chen has led the choir to countless awards, including the Grand Prix and the 1st Prize in the Chamber Choir Category at the 2006 Béla Bartók International Choir Competition in Hungary. The 2021 album “YIN—An Unlimited Passage,” recorded with Taipei Chamber Singers, set a record at the Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music, winning four awards: Best Performance, Best Album Producer, Best Recording and Best Composition. Returning as guest conductor, Yun-Hung Chen promises a remarkable concert you will not want to miss.