During his career as a conductor in Europe, Lu Shao-Chia has not only performed with many famous orchestras, but also won the first prizes in three major international conducting competitions – Besancon, Pedrotti. In 2004 he received the Peter-Cornelius-Plakette, the highest cultural award of the Rhineland-Palatinate region in Germany. His outstanding performance with international orchestras over the years and his efforts to raise the level of classical music in Taiwan during his tenure as artistic director of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) have earned him the 41st National Cultural Award in 2022.

His music is always full of determination, solidly presented after careful consideration, and is a perfect combination of emotional tension and focused power. He has been keen on integrating music of different styles and periods. He believes that nowadays orchestras have changed into a teamwork format, that conductors should not be limited by the stereotypes of the past, and that “authority” should be built up naturally. The conductor should be able to communicate clearly and simply with the members of the orchestra, and to bring out the best in them.

Teaching had never been in Lu’s career plan until his collaborations with TNUA let him feel the full trust of the faculty and students, and convinced him he had a role play in Taiwan’s music education. Lu’s relationship with TNUA began in 2005 when the school’s Concert Hall was unveiled with a concert of the TNUA Orchestra conducted by Lu. In 2020, after stepping down from his position as NSO’s artistic director, he became a chair professor of TNUA’s School of Music.

Lu thanks TNUA for conferring on him an honorary doctorate for the work he has always loved doing – conducting.

Photo credit : Tey Tat Keng