ENSEMBLES 2019

Dunhua Junior High School String Orchestra

Dunhua Junior High School String Orchestra Taipei Municipal Dunhua Junior High School is devoted to cultivating optimistic and active teenagers who are sound in mind and body. In addition to student-centered teaching and learning, the school also provides abundant opportunities for students to develop their interests and talents. Founded in 2007, the Dunhua Junior High School String Orchestra has won the Taipei Student Music Competition (East District) Championship for 12 consecutive years, and also achieved great success in the National Student Music Competition. Because of our outstanding performance, we are frequently invited to perform in Office of the President and other official institutions. In July 2103 we, the only student orchestra from Taiwan, were invited to Tokyo Disneyland to celebrate Tokyo Disney Resort’s 30^th Anniversary. Dunhua Junior High School Orchestra regularly conducts charity performances in hospitals and elderly nursing homes. Through the warmth of music, we look forward to developing elegant and broad-minded young musicians while connecting to the people we are playing with and to our audience. We believe, as Plato once said, “music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”

Chia-Ming Hsu

Conductor

Chia-Ming Hsu began studying the cello at an early age. Mr. Hsu pursued further studies in the United States; initially with cellist Ulrich Boeckheler in Philadelphia and in 1993, was offered full scholarship at Florida International University to study with Mark Drobinsky, Andres Diaz, Keith Robinson, Diaz Trio and Miami String Quartet. In 1995, he was the soloist of Vivaldi’s Cello concerto with the Florida International University Orchestra. With pianist Gregory Taylor, Mr. Hsu performed the inaugural concert at Florida Wertheim Performing Arts Center’s in 1996. Mr. Hsu was a founding member of the Testore String Quartet, which won second prize in the 1998 National Society of Arts and Letters International String Quartet Competition. In the same year, he was featured in Grammy Award winner flutist Nestor Torres’s album. In 2006, Mr. Hsu joined cellist Arthur Cook in a performance of Vivaldi’s Double Cello Concerto in G Major with the New York City Symphony in Taipei, Taiwan. As a music director, Mr. Hsu studied conducting with Professor Apo Hsu. In 2006, he led Guangren Catholic Elementary School Orchestra to victory at the annual Taipei City Music Competition. He led both Taipei Municipal Kuang Fu Elementary School and Taipei Municipal Dun Hua Junior High School String Orchestra to win in various competitions within the Eastern District of Taipei. Of special note, he led Taipei Municipal Dun Hua Junior High School String Orchestra to win first prize at the Taiwan National Music Competition in 2011 and 2012.

SCL Artistic Program

Competition Program

Additional Concerts Program