Interview Date：2013.11.15

The Moment You Meet Music

When the head of the orchestra, Chung Yiu-Kwong, went to elementary school, he joined the school band and began learning to play percussion and wind instruments. This helped him to develop a keen interest in percussion music and he majored in percussion at university. In 1986 he got into the City University of New York to study for his PhD in percussion and composition. During this time he discover how different playing and composing are.

Encountering the TCOCO

In March of 2007 Chung Yiu-Kwong was invited by the Cultural Affairs Bureau to serve as the head of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. For Chung Yiu-Kwong, representing the Taipei Chinese Orchestra and the TCOCO has given him an even more intimate and friendly interaction. Upholding a passion for Chinese orchestra and having the experience of working with an orchestra in New York, Chung Yiu-Kwong has a very clear idea about the direction of the orchestra and the other groups. Each stage of the plan is completed and based upon the characteristics, ability and expertise of each group.

Bittersweet

All the funding for the orchestra comes from the central and city government and so in being responsible for the Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Chung Yiu-Kwong has to think a lot about how to run the orchestra, not only in terms of preserving the arts, but also in administrative terms. Chung Yiu-Kwong is responsible for the concepts of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra, its operating objectives and its seven other associated orchestras. For Chung Yiu-Kwong each and every member of the orchestra is an asset. Each member must be respected. A head of an orchestra must not only be good with administrative work, but they must also be good at dealing with people in order to reach a common goal.

Hopes For the Future

Having been with the orchestra for seven years, Chung Yiu-Kwong believes that the TCOCO’s diverse background allows it to enter most deeply into the community and it’s the most qualified group to pioneer Chinese orchestral music. Chung Yiu-Kwong expects with the encouragement of the TCOCO that more people will learn about Chinese orchestras and that the people and children will like Chinese orchestral music.