Shiuan Chang
Born in 1989, Shiuan Chang is a full-time bean sprout farmer. However, the crops he grows may not always be edible nor necessarily serve as spiritual sustenance. His first memory after birth is walking a toddler walker, a step, a sound. The second "birth" occurred while hand-copying the Heart Sutra. Through the sounds of movement, he aims to let go of distinctions between the past and the future.
Described as "spiritual, light, and comforting" by Classic Agenda (FR), Shiuan is the 2018 Chicago Civic Symphony Composer Prize and the 2021 Asian Cultural Council awardee. In addition, he is the recipient of the 2021 Djerassi Artist Residency, the 2022 Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency Grant, and the 2023 ACF|Create.
His recent major productions include "Sounding Light (2020)," collaborating with the Cloudgate Contemporary Dance Company; Two flagship productions of the Taiwan International Festival of Arts: "I-Village (2021)," collaborating with the Sheng-Xiang Rock Band and the National Symphony Orchestra, and "A thousand stages, Yet I have never quite lived (2021)" collaborating with the Peking Opera artist Hei-Min Wei and National Symphony Orchestra, directed by Kengsen Ong; “Fateless Love (2022)” for orchestra, choir, and three singers premiered by National Symphony Orchestra.
Shiuan Chang's music has been performed nationally and internationally at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center Rose Theater, Merkin Hall, Suntory Hall, Jordan Hall, Moscow Philharmonic Chamber Hall, Berlin Philharmonic Chamber Hall, Chicago Symphony Center, Taiwan National Concert Hall, Le Phenix Valenciennes, Royaumont, Weimar Kunstfest, Archipel Festival, Boston Early Music Festival, Grafenegg Festival, and the Bartok Festival. In addition, he has been commissioned and collaborated with the Tonkunstler Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan Philharmonic, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, The Orchestra Now, Chicago Civic Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, Asasello Quartett, TANA Quartet, Mivos Quartet, Atlas Ensemble, Ensemble Multilaterale, Ensemble Musicatreize, Earplay Ensemble, Neue Vocalisten Stuttgart, Ekmeles Ensemble, Les Metabole, Princeton Singers, and Orkest de Ereprijs.
Shiuan is active in outreach programs. In 2015, he produced a full-length show to support the Genesis Social Welfare Foundation and wrote a documentary film score for the Children Are Us Foundation's twentieth-anniversary documentary film. His first album《Earthing》commissioned by the Dun Ren Psychiatric Hospital was released in 2024 February.