Department of Music
“The National Tsing Hua University College of Arts Department of Music,” was established by professor YANG Zhao-Zhen, a domestically well-known tenor and educator. For many years, the Department of Music has dedicated in pursuing professional excellence in the field of music, aside from our rich, diverse, and innovative curriculum design, we also emphasizes the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration to cultivate aesthetics appreciation, which can expand the stage of the student’s musical art performances. From a global perspective, our department actively engages in international academic exchange, such as inviting world-renowned musician to our department to perform and instruct, providing international exchange opportunities, etc. All this effort is to promote our students’ professional skills to a global and modern artistic standard.
The purpose of NTHU Department of Music is to continuously foster performing artists and education scholars, our core goal is to cultivate music professionals that is capable of independent thinking and carry out academic research. We anticipate our students to create a new future in the field of art, and become leaders for the next generation.
We currently have Bachelor’s degree (39 students per a grade), and Master’s degree (approximately 21 students per a grade), a total of 198 students.
1. About the Department
The Department of Music, College of Arts, National Tsing Hua University, was founded under the planning of Professor Yang Zhao-Zhen, a distinguished tenor and music educator. Upholding the spirit of professional excellence and solid innovation, the Department is devoted to cultivating music professionals with strong musical literacy, refined performance skills, and mature stage presence. Centered on the art of performance, the curriculum emphasizes comprehensive training from individual technique to artistic interpretation.
The Department currently offers bachelor’s and master’s programs, with a total enrollment of approximately 200 students. Each undergraduate cohort includes about 38 students, while each master’s cohort enrolls around 20 students. This balanced scale enables refined instruction and close mentorship, helping students strengthen their technical foundation and continuously develop their artistic and performance abilities.
2. Academic Features
Professional Training in Performance and Voice
The Department places major-study training at the core of its curriculum and emphasizes the professional development of both instrumental and vocal performance. Through individual instruction, chamber music, opera practice, ensemble training, and orchestral experience, students build a solid foundation in performance and singing. From technique, tone production, and stylistic command to musical interpretation and stage presence, the Department stresses comprehensive and systematic cultivation of performance excellence.
Emphasis on Stage Practice and Artistic Expression
The Department strongly emphasizes stage practice and encourages students to accumulate performance experience through a variety of presentation opportunities. Training goes beyond technical refinement to include the communication of musical language, emotional depth, and the artistic connection between performer and audience.
A Structured Path for Advanced Study
The master’s program includes specialized tracks in musicology, theory and composition, and performance. The performance division encompasses piano, voice, strings, winds, and conducting, offering students a clear and well-structured path for advanced professional training. The continuity between the undergraduate and graduate curricula allows students to further develop their artistic strengths in a focused and progressive manner.
3. Faculty
The Department is supported by 15 full-time faculty members and approximately 60 adjunct instructors, whose academic and professional backgrounds span renowned institutions in Taiwan and abroad, including the United States, Italy, Germany, France, and Russia. Their expertise covers piano, voice, strings, winds, percussion, conducting, theory and composition, musicology, music education, and applied music, providing students with expert and detailed guidance across a wide range of performance fields.
The Department regularly hosts master classes and lectures by distinguished artists and scholars from Taiwan and abroad. Through exposure to different performance traditions, interpretive perspectives, and teaching approaches, students broaden their artistic horizons and deepen their understanding of repertoire and stage performance.
4. International Vision and Performance Exchange
The Department places great importance on international engagement by promoting music exchange opportunities and student exchange programs. Through master classes, lectures, and international interaction, students gain a deeper understanding of diverse musical cultures and performance traditions. For those pursuing careers in performance, such exchange is not only a matter of broadening perspective, but also an essential part of artistic growth and stage maturity.
5. Facilities and Performance Environment
The Department continues to develop professional teaching and performance facilities that support rehearsal, performance, and study. The College of Arts Building will include a 350-seat recital hall, serving as an important venue for student performances, concerts, and professional training, and allowing students to gain valuable stage experience in a formal performance setting.
In addition, the Junshan Concert Hall, currently under construction, is planned as a professional venue with outstanding acoustics and seating for 1,283 audience members. In the future, it will provide a more comprehensive platform for large-scale concerts, artistic exchange, and professional performance activities, further strengthening the Department’s capacity for performance-centered music education.
6. Further Study and Career Development