The Department of Music invited three renowned musicians to TNUA in May: professor of composition Prof. Joel Hoffman; professor of percussion Takafumi Fujimoto; and flutist Yossi Arnheim.
Prof. Hoffman, from the U.S. University of Cincinnati, offered instructions to students on composition during his one-week stay. He also delivered a lecture, "Dramatic and Structural Use of Silence in Music," during which he illustrated his points by playing "9 Pieces for Piano," a work he composed in 2010.
Prof. Fujimoto, from Japan's Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, demonstrated the skills of playing the vibraphone.
Because of the limitations of the vibraphone's range, there have not been too many pieces specifically written for the instrument, he said. But he stressed that it remains important to hone the skills of playing it.
It was the percussionist's first time in Taiwan, but some TNUA students and teachers already met him two years ago during an exchange visit to his school. He said he felt at home seeing people he already knew.
For the Prof. Arnheim, the Principal Flutist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, it was his third visit to TNUA.
This time, he also took part in a concert conducted by Department of Music Prof. Cheng-tu Su on May 26.
The concert presented Georg Philipp Telemann's "Suite in A Minor TWV55:a1," Ronen Shapira's "Spirit Will Be," Elgar's "Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47," and Janacek's "Suite for String Orchestra."