Hsu Shu-yao Launches 4-Year Plan to Promote Bach's Harpsichord Concertos
Harpsichordist Hsu Shu-yao, based in the Netherlands, has announced a flagship project, "Heart of Zimmermann," to perform Bach's harpsichord concertos over four years, from 2026 to 2029. She also continues to organize the Taiwan International Early Music Festival, inviting renowned domestic and international performers for concerts.
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- 📰 Published: May 6, 2026 at 18:20
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Chao Ching-yu, Taipei, 6th) Since 2023, harpsichordist Hsu Shu-yao, based in the Netherlands, has returned to Taiwan to promote harpsichord music. This year, in addition to continuing to host the Taiwan International Early Music Festival, she has also planned a flagship project to perform multiple harpsichord concertos composed by Bach over four years.
Hsu Shu-yao stated in a media interview today that Bach took over as director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig in 1729 and often performed with his students at "Zimmermann's Coffee House," publishing many works that brought the harpsichord to the forefront of the orchestra, making it a solo protagonist and giving it an independent role.
To fully present this turning point in music history, Hsu Shu-yao has planned a four-year flagship project, "Heart of Zimmermann," scheduled to progress gradually from 2026 to 2029, focusing on Bach's harpsichord concerto series, hoping to allow Taiwanese music lovers to experience the rich layers of the harpsichord's timbre.
Hsu Shu-yao believes that the harpsichord is like a road bicycle, and the piano is like a heavy motorcycle; both are beautiful, but their sounds are completely different. "The premise of appreciating the harpsichord is not to expect it to sound like a piano." Hsu Shu-yao said that people are used to hearing Bach's "Goldberg Variations" played on the piano. "If you hear it played on the harpsichord, you might feel something is missing, but the harpsichord has richer overtones, like a good red wine with many layers, worth savoring carefully."
This year's Early Music Festival concert "Qin Yun Shuang Sheng" invites Dutch harpsichord master Pieter-Jan Belder to visit Taiwan for the third time, performing Bach's "Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1060" and "Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C major, BWV 1061" with Hsu Shu-yao. Robert Smith, head of the Early Music Department at the Cologne University of Music and Dance in Germany, will also perform in Taiwan for the first time.
The "Shuang Di Jing Xiang" concert focuses on recorders and baroque flutes, featuring musicians including British baroque flutist David Westcombe, recorder player Liang Yi-chang, harpsichordists Hsu Shu-yao and Machiko Sudo, and viol player Yang Chun-yuan. Through trios, sonatas, and other forms, they will present the multifaceted dialogue and competition between recorders and flutes.
The "Qin Yun Shuang Sheng" concert will be held on May 15th at the National Concert Hall and on May 17th at the Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts. The "Shuang Di Jing Xiang" concert will be performed on May 9th at the Yason Hall of the NTU Center for the Arts. The Dapeng Bay promotion concert will be held on May 16th at the Dapeng Bay Sea Church Cafe, with a limited number of free admissions. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150506
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(Central News Agency reporter Chao Ching-yu, Taipei, 6th) Since 2023, harpsichordist Hsu Shu-yao, based in the Netherlands, has returned to Taiwan to promote harpsichord music. This year, in addition to continuing to host the Taiwan International Early Music Festival, she has also planned a flagship project to perform multiple harpsichord concertos composed by Bach over four years.
Hsu Shu-yao stated in a media interview today that Bach took over as director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig in 1729 and often performed with his students at "Zimmermann's Coffee House," publishing many works that brought the harpsichord to the forefront of the orchestra, making it a solo protagonist and giving it an independent role.
To fully present this turning point in music history, Hsu Shu-yao has planned a four-year flagship project, "Heart of Zimmermann," scheduled to progress gradually from 2026 to 2029, focusing on Bach's harpsichord concerto series, hoping to allow Taiwanese music lovers to experience the rich layers of the harpsichord's timbre.
Hsu Shu-yao believes that the harpsichord is like a road bicycle, and the piano is like a heavy motorcycle; both are beautiful, but their sounds are completely different. "The premise of appreciating the harpsichord is not to expect it to sound like a piano." Hsu Shu-yao said that people are used to hearing Bach's "Goldberg Variations" played on the piano. "If you hear it played on the harpsichord, you might feel something is missing, but the harpsichord has richer overtones, like a good red wine with many layers, worth savoring carefully."
This year's Early Music Festival concert "Qin Yun Shuang Sheng" invites Dutch harpsichord master Pieter-Jan Belder to visit Taiwan for the third time, performing Bach's "Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1060" and "Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C major, BWV 1061" with Hsu Shu-yao. Robert Smith, head of the Early Music Department at the Cologne University of Music and Dance in Germany, will also perform in Taiwan for the first time.
The "Shuang Di Jing Xiang" concert focuses on recorders and baroque flutes, featuring musicians including British baroque flutist David Westcombe, recorder player Liang Yi-chang, harpsichordists Hsu Shu-yao and Machiko Sudo, and viol player Yang Chun-yuan. Through trios, sonatas, and other forms, they will present the multifaceted dialogue and competition between recorders and flutes.
The "Qin Yun Shuang Sheng" concert will be held on May 15th at the National Concert Hall and on May 17th at the Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts. The "Shuang Di Jing Xiang" concert will be performed on May 9th at the Yason Hall of the NTU Center for the Arts. The Dapeng Bay promotion concert will be held on May 16th at the Dapeng Bay Sea Church Cafe, with a limited number of free admissions. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150506
Stand with the facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.