To mark the 30th anniversary of the Kuandu Arts Festival, the TNUA School of Music is presenting “II: Timeless Sound,” a series of 12 concerts running from October 14 till December 3.

The series features a variety of Eastern and Western musical elements in the concerts, which will be held at campus venues, such as the TNUA Concert Hall, the Lotus Pond Stage and Center for Art and Technology.

A press conference held on September 12 to announce the concert series was presided over by TNUA’s Vice President Prof. Yi-Ping Hung, Vice President Prof. Huei-Ling Liu, Dean of Academic Affairs Prof. Lin Shaw-Ren, Dean of the School of Music Prof. Wen-Yea Lu, former Dean of the School of Music Prof. Shien-Ta Su, Chair of the Department of Music Prof. Shih-San Wu, Chair of the Department of Traditional Music Prof. Hsiu-Jen Jian, and others.

Prof. Lu noted that performing arts can never be replaced by technology. Every performer has had to undergo years of training before he or she can shine on the stage. But the trend towards the future is to incorporate computer technology into performing arts in ways to enrich the expressions of music and art with technology. Prof. Lu said the Kuandu Arts Festival is providing artists with stage to present their art.

Prof. Liu pointed out that the Kuandu Arts Festival is the best known art event of TNUA, as well as one with the longest history among all similar events held by Taiwan’s art universities and colleges. This year, the School of Music is presenting the ‘II: Timeless Sound” series to showcase the achievements of its teachers and students.

Prof. Wu said the Department of Music wants to show how it embraces the classics, innovations, and cross-disciplinary integrations in this year’s presentations. She said the concerts are meant to let the audiences enjoy the beauty of music and nature. Prof. Jian said the Department of Traditional Music is bringing Central Asian music to the arts festival.

“2023 Kuandu Arts Festival Opening Concert” on October 14 marks the beginning of the “II: Timeless Sound” series. It presents Darius Milhaud’s “La création du monde,” Donald Crockett’s “And the River,” Chia-Hui Chen’s “Fusion fissionné – phase I,” and Camille Saint-Saëns’s “Le Carnaval des animaux.

“TNUA New Music Workshop South Korea Pre-departure Concert” present works highlighting the sounds of nature. The workshop is led by Prof. Mei-Fang Lin.

“Maestro Shao-Chia Lü & TNUA Orchestra” presents Johannes Brahms’ :”Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a,” Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43,” and Antonín Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World.”

“TNUA Organ Concert” takes place at the TNUA Concert Hall, which is equipped with an organ. The works to be presented include: César Franck’s “Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18”; Olivier Messiaen: “La vierge et l’enfant,” “Les enfants de Dieu”, “Les anges,” “Les mages” and “Dieu parmi nous” from La Nativité du Seigneur; Dan Miller’s “Great is Thy Faithfulness”; J. Christopher Pardini’s “Toccata on Amazing Grace”; Maurice Ravel “Boléro (Organ Duet)”; Camille Saint-Saëns’s “Le Carnaval des animaux”; John Philip Sousa’s “ The Stars and Stripes Forever (Organ Duet)”; and Joel Raney’s “He’s Got the Whole World.”

“Destinations: A Musical Journey” combines the organ and percussion in a concert featuring various styles of music. Performers include Sarah Barnes-Tsai,

Chwen-Huei Tsai, Ping-YuChiu Pei-Ying Hsieh, Kai-Sean Wang and Yu-NingHuang.