A series of concerts will run until August 2025 to mark the 10th anniversary of the passing of Prof. Ma Shui-Long.
The concerts are jointly organized by the Taiwan Music Institute in collaboration with TNUA, National Central Library, National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying).
The first of the series already took place on March 28 – the TNUA Faculty Chamber Concert at the TNUA Concert Hall. TNUA will stage several other concenrts until June in memory of Prof. Ma.
Prof. Ma (1935-2015) was born in Keelung. He graduated from the department of music at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts (now National Taiwan University of Arts), majoring in composing. He received a scholarship to study at Regensburg Music Academy in Germany, where he earned a degree in music education.
His unique style of music incorporates Western ad traditional Taiwanese musical elements. His masterpieces include “Rainy Harbor Sketch” (1969), “Bangdi (Bamboo Flute) Concerto” (1981), “The Liao Tian-Ding Orchestral Suite,” “Rhapsody in Kuan Du,” “For Pipa and String Quartet,” and “The Invisible Temple for Male Chorus and Orchestra.” His works have been presented in various concerts around the world.
In 1987, Prof. Ma became the first Taiwanese composer to see a concert entirely dedicated to his work at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. He won many awards and recognitions, including: the recognition of his “Bangdi Concerto” as one of the masterpieces of 20th century Chinese music, the National Award for Arts (1999), the Presidential Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon (2000), and the Executive Yuan National Cultural Award (2007).
Prof. Ma, who was TNUA’s second president, was a dedicated educator. He was a member of the preparatory committee for the establishment of TNUA. Apart from the presidency, he also took up other positions at TNUA – as the chairperson of the Department of Music, and the dean of academic affairs.
During his stint as TNUA president, plans were made for the construction of the Concert Hall, Dance Theatre, and the Experimental Theatre. In 1992, TNUA set up Taiwan’s first research center for art and technology, the predecessor of the TNUA Center for Art and Technology – now a leader of cross-domain integration in Taiwan.
The March 28 concert featured a performance of Prof. Ma’s “String Quartet” by four TNUA faculty members: Li I-ching (violin), Ching-Ting Chang (violin), Yi-Wen, Chao (viola), and Liu Chu-Chuan (cello). Prof. Ma composed the work in 1983 on commission from the Council for Cultural Affairs.
Other faculty members in the concert included Shien-Ta Su, Chih-Chang Hsueh, Victor Coo and Paul Kern.