Lü Shao-chia (; born 1960) is a Taiwanese conductor. He has been

music director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the d ...

of the

National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National Mem ...

of Taiwan since 2010.

Biography

Born in

Hsinchu Hsinchu (, Chinese: 新竹, Pinyin: ''Xīnzhú'', Wade–Giles: ''Hsin¹-chu²'') is a city located in northwestern Taiwan. It is the most populous city in Taiwan Province not among the special municipalities, with estimated 450,655 inhabi ...

, Taiwan, Lü studied piano at an early age. Initiated by Taiwanese conductor Chen Chiu-sen, he later turned to conducting and went on to

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

and

Vienna Hochschule für Musik The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university located in Vienna, established in 1817. With a student body of over three thousa ...

. In 1988, he was accepted in conducting course held by maestro Gennady Rozhdestvensky in

Accademia Musicale Chigiana The Accademia Musicale Chigiana (''English'': Chigiana Musical Academy) is a music institute in Siena, Italy. It was founded by Count Guido Chigi-Saracini in 1932 as an international centre for advanced musical studies. It organises Master Classe ...

and graduated as the only recipient of Diploma di Honore. In 1991 he graduated from the Vienna Hochschule für Musik with excellence and was honored by the Science Research Department of Austrian government for his achievements. Lü was called in on short notice to replace the ailing

Sergiu Celibidache Sergiu Celibidache (; 14 August 1996) was a Romanian conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over five decades, including tenures as ...

for his scheduled concert tour with the

Munich Philharmonic The Munich Philharmonic (german: Münchner Philharmoniker, links=no) is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's four principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Rad ...

in Taiwan. As an opera conductor, Lü was appointed principal conductor of

Komische Oper Berlin The Komische Oper Berlin is a German opera company based in Berlin. The company produces opera, operetta and musicals. The opera house is located on Behrenstraße, just a few steps from Unter den Linden. Since 2004, the Komische Oper Berlin, a ...

in 1995. By the time he left the opera house in 1998, he had conducted hundreds of performances of more than 30 operas, which also helped establish his reputation as one of the leading opera conductors of his generation. Starting 1996, Lü was invited to work with

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English ...

, in London, Norway Royal Opera, GöteborgsOperan, in Gothenburg, Opera Australia, in Sydney, La Monnaie, in Brussels, Stuttgart Opera,

Deutsche Oper Berlin The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house (after Munich's) and also home to the Berlin State Ballet. Since 2004, the De ...

, and Hamburgische Staatsoper. Among other orchestras, he has conducted the

Orchestre National de France The Orchestre national de France (ONF; literal translation, ''National Orchestra of France'') is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since ...

Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia The Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia) is an Italian symphony orchestra based in Rome. Resident at the Parco della Musica, the orchestra primarily performs its Rome concerts in ...

Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR'') was a German radio orchestra based in Stuttgart in Germany. History The ensemble was founded in 1945 by American occupation authorities as the orchest ...

, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Lü headed Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonia between 1998 and 2004 as music director and was bestowed 'Peter Cornelius Plakette' by the Cultural Minister of Rheinland for his outstanding contribution in local culture in May 2004. Lü has led the Niedersächsische

Staatsoper Hannover Hanover State Opera (german: Staatsoper Hannover) is an opera company in Hanover, the state capital of Lower Saxony, Germany. The company is resident in the Hanover Opera House (), and is part of a publicly-funded umbrella performing arts organ ...

as music director from 2001 to 2006. The performance of the opera house was elevated to higher level soon after his arrival and he along with the opera house were named 'Conductor of the Year' and 'Best Opera House of the Year'. Lü won the International Kiril Kondrashin Competition for conductors in 1994 and went on to win

International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors The International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors, is a music competition for young conducting, conductors in the city of Besançon, France. History The competition was organized for the first time in 1951 by the music and film critic an ...

(both first prize and Lyre d'Or award) and Pedrotti International Competition for Orchestra Conductors. Lü has been Music Director of the

of Taiwan since 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Shao-Chia 1960 births Living people Taiwanese conductors (music) Indiana University alumni Accademia Musicale Chigiana alumni University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni Prize-winners of the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors Taiwanese people of Hakka descent People from Hsinchu County Hakka musicians 21st-century conductors (music)