The Art of Interdisciplinary Collaborations

The talk delves into interdisciplinary collaborations between music and theater. Through elements such as stage design, text, moving scheme, lighting, props and sound, they together explore how time and space are orchestrated, and how sound and imagery shape meaning. From the conceptualization of theater to the design and mindset behind interdisciplinary music productions, the speaker reflects on years of experience as a composer, curator and artistic/creative director, sharing insights into the collaborative process across disciplines and ultimately, how mutual understanding can lead to a true “1+1=1” — a seamless creative unity.

Ching-Wen Chao received her Doctorate degree at Stanford, where she studied with Jonathan Harvey, Brian Ferneyhough and Chris Chafe. She was also committed to her research in electroacoustic music at CCRMA Stanford and lectured at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and at Stanford University. She is Associate Professor in Composition in the Music Department at Taiwan Normal University as well as Curator of Innovation Series by the Taiwan National Performing Arts Center, the most prestigious art performance venue in Taiwan. She has been Creative Director for several interdisciplinary theater-concert productions in collaboration with world-renowned contemporary music ensembles (such as Ictus in Brussels, Nieuw Ensemble in Amsterdam, etc.) and major ensembles/choruses in Taiwan. Recent reviews include discussion of her compositions in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik by Schott and in the Editions L’Harmattan Paris.