A dissertation lecture recital of selected piano solo works by living female composers in Taiwan

This dissertation lecture recital examines selected solo piano works, including Ching-Yu Hsiau’s The Way to Fantasy, Ke-Chia Chen’s To an Isolated Island, Ching-Mei Lin’s Returning, and Ming-Hsiu Yen’s Mirrors of Time. These works are all by currently living female composers who are natives of Taiwan, and collectively demonstrate a diversity of approach that in different ways reveal a strong connection to their homeland. Through conversations and lessons with these four living female composers, my piano lessons with Dr. Kilburn, and in-depth study and performance preparation of these works, I explored a wealth of engaging and imaginative musical ideas. Through this process, I gained a deeper understanding of the composers’ artistic voices.