Bor-nien Hsu, Percussionist and Director of the Forum Music Ensemble
Bor-nien Hsu has played a significant role in the development of contemporary music in Taiwan.
Born in Taipei , Taiwan, Bor-nien Hsu graduated from the Department of Music, National College of Arts (now National Taiwan University of Arts). He joined the Taiwan Provincial Symphony Orchestra in 1982. In 1983, Hsu obtained a Ministry of Education scholarship to study contemporary percussion and musical theatre under Francois Bedel and Gaston Sylvestre at the Conservatoire Rueil-Malmaison, one of France's most prestigious national academies of music. At Rueil-Malmaison, Hsu received both the Premier Prix and Prix d'Excellence for his outstanding performances; during his time in France, he took part in numerous performances and recordings of contemporary music.
In 1988, after returning to Taiwan, Hsu was invited to serve as a member of the preparatory committee for the ROC Contemporary Music Association. During this period, he was very active on the contemporary music scene both in Taiwan and overseas. Hsu performed in the Shanghai-Taipei Music Talents Concert, the first musical exchange activity to be held between Taiwan and China; at this concert, which was held at the Shanghai Centre, he played together with musicians from the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Shanghai Conservatory. Hsu also took part in the Musical Exhibition of Works by Taiwanese Composers at the Taipei Theatre in New York, which was organized by the Council for Cultural Affairs. Other performances included the Spring and Autumn Music Festival, the Composers Alliance Concerts, the Contemporary Music Association Concerts, and charity concerts at the President's Office. Hsu was also involved in the planning and organization of a wide range of other performances, seminars and lectures.
In May 1996, Bor-nien Hsu founded the Forum Music Ensemble in collaboration with a group of young Taiwanese musicians that included outstanding pianists, percussionists, composers, and players of string and woodwind instruments. This was followed in January 1997 by the opening of the Forum Auditorium.
In addition to its regular musical performances, the Forum Music Ensemble has also organized or assisted with a large number of contemporary music concerts, workshops, lectures and seminars, and has undertaken international collaboration projects with composers and musicians from France, the U.K. and the U.S.A.
Bor-nien Hsu has worked tirelessly to further the development of contemporary music in Taiwan. In 2004, he began planning the recording of the Taiwan's Contemporary Music series of CDs, featuring works by Taiwanese composers. As of 2007, three CDs had already been released in this series, entitled Musical Kaleidoscope: Taiwan's Contemporary Music (1), (2), and (3). In 2007, Hsu was awarded the Golden Melody Award for the producer of the year's best classical or artistic recording.
Bor-nien Hsu is currently serving as Director of the Forum Music Ensemble, while also teaching at the Graduate School of Music, National Chiao Tung University, and the Department of Music, Soochow University.