Yiu Kwong Chung
*16 November 1956
Works by Yiu Kwong Chung
Biography
Yiu-kwong Chung is Taiwan's best-known and most often performed composer. He was the Professor of Music at the National Taiwan University of Arts from 1996 to 2022 and was the General Director of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra (TCO) from 2007 to 2015. During his tenure with TCO, he has written concerti for numerous top-class soloists, including percussionist Evelyn Glennie, trombonist Christian Lindberg, saxophonist Claude Delangle, cellists Mischa Maisky and Anssi Karttunen, flutists Pierre-Yves Artaud and Sharon Bezaly, in addition to renowned Kronos Quartet; all were world-premiered by the TCO. In June 2012, he conducted the orchestra’s European Tour (with soloist Evelyn Glennie). He staged performances in Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and Le Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris that brought immediate international fame to the Orchestra. From 2009 to 2015, he has produced six CDs released worldwide by Swedish BIS Records.
About the music
Besides writing concert music for western and traditional Chinese ensembles, choirs, and traditional Chinese opera, Chung also writes many compositions for solo marimba, percussion ensembles, and percussion concerti since he is also a professional percussionist and superb marimba soloist. He firmly believes that music has no boundaries and it is one of the important means of expressing human feelings and emotions. Therefore, during his 8-year tenure with the Taipei Chinese Orchestra, he has written concerti for numerous top-class soloists, including percussionist Evelyn Glennie, trombonist Christian Lindberg, saxophonist Claude Delangle, cellists Mischa Maisky and Anssi Karttunen, flutists Pierre-Yves Artaud and Sharon Bezaly, and later produced 6 CDs released worldwide by Swedish BIS Records.
Director General, Taipei Chinese Orchestra (2007-2015)
The ongoing projects (2022-2023) include:
- A 70-minute choir musical Journey to the West commissioned by the Taipei Male Choir;
- A symphonic poem Zheng He's Expeditions to the West for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra;
- 24 Caprices for Solo Marimba;
- 6 Pieces for 6-mallet Marimba;
- L(C)OVE(I)D for Solo Marimba and 3 Percussionists commissioned by T.U. Percussion.