Taiwan Today

Taiwan’s Evergreen Symphony Orchestra will perform a memorial concert honoring legendary singer-songwriter Hung Yi-feng at the National Concert Hall May 28. Organizers said the orchestra will perform a selection of Hung’s songs against a backdrop of images from different periods of the musician’s life. Vocalist Chris Hung, one of the musician’s three sons, is also expected to take the stage. According to Hung, his father had long dreamed of hearing his debut tune “Butterfly” performed as a symphonic piece. “Although Evergreen had offered to make my father’s wish come true, the family never thought this would extend to a memorial concert,” he said. Long considered one of Taiwan’s best crooners, Hung was known to his legions of fans as the “king of Formosan songs.” He began writing original pieces at the age of 19 when the island’s biggest hits were being adapted from Japanese tunes. Hung continued composing for the next 60 years, building up a catalogue of more than 200 songs. Social commentators often described his work as musical history of urban life in Taiwan. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2009, Hung was hospitalized on Boxing Day after suffering from pneumonia and falling into a coma. He passed away Feb. 24 at the age of 82. A Christian memorial service will be held for Hung March 13. (PCT-JSM)