Taiwan Docs

This film explores the remarkable Taiwanese love affair with Western classical music. For a relatively small island, Taiwan today boasts an extraordinary amount of musical talent. There is a thriving classical music scene, with surprisingly young audiences. Many Taiwanese players have joined European and Western orchestras and played as soloists over the world.

Could playing an instrument or going to concerts – so popular in Taiwan today – still reflect a desire for social status and aspiration towards a culture perceived as superior? Not content with slavishly following the West, many classically trained Taiwanese musicians are exploring their own roots and creating exciting new hybrids that keep pace with changing times. Could this trend signal a re-assertion of Taiwan’s own traditions?