The 72-year-old musician, who has lived and worked in the United States for three decades, returned to Taiwan to receive an honorary doctorate from National Taitung University. He also donated the manuscript of his “Prodigal Son” cantata to National Taiwan Normal University at a ceremony Jan. 13.
Hsiao’s life resembles that of a prodigal son and pining for home has virtually become a motif of his life. He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1977, but was unable to return to Taiwan for nearly two decades after being blacklisted by the Kuomintang-controlled government of Taiwan in 1980 for one of his compositions. Taiwan’s political opposition groups used his “March of Democracy” as a theme song in the struggle against the KMT’s authoritarian rule of the island. The ban was lifted in 1995.
Hsiao, who has been hailed as “Taiwan’s Rachmaninoff” for the romantic style and authentic Taiwanese mood of his music, completed his three concertos, for violin, cello and piano during his time in the United States. Like a series of love letters to his homeland, each composition “covertly conceals” musical elements of Taiwan—the melody of a Taiwanese song is recognizable in his “Piano Concerto in C minor,” and an aboriginal Amis dance tune can be heard in his “Cello Concerto in C major.” Both pieces will be on the Jan. 15 concert program, featuring U.K.-based pianist Chang Chiao-ying and National Symphony Orchestra cellist Lana Hsiung.
After suffering a stroke and undergoing heart surgery in the 1990s, any return to Taiwan for Hsiao seemed doubtful. However, with the gradual recovery of his stamina in recent years, he seized the opportunity to visit his homeland.
His greatest dream is to compose a “Love River Symphony” for Kaohsiung City, where he was born. However, he despairs that he is unlikely to be able to finish it due to his poor health and failing eyesight. He now hopes to at least write a suite of movements to express his love for his hometown.
Nevertheless, Taiwan will be able to hear even more of his music next year. NTNU’s Department of Music is preparing to perform the "Prodigal Son" cantata in the first half of 2011. This large-scale religious chorus work, composed in 2000 after completion of the Christian composer’s earlier opera “Jesus Christ,” portrays the biblical story of the return of the prodigal son in 11 parts with lyrics set from the Old and New Testaments. (PCT-FS)