Chen, Mei-o

Founder & Artist Director 

Ms. Chen began her Nankuan study at the NanSheng organization in 1975.  Thereafter, she visited many famous Nankuan masters throughout Taiwan, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore) and Mainland China to perfect her Nankuan skills, especially in Nankuan singing and pipa (lute) playing techniques.  In 1982, she made it possible for Nankuan Music to be heard in Europe for the first time.  After that, Nankuan music toured many countries and gained a fair share of attention in the musical world.  In 1983, Ms. Chen founded Han Tang Yuefu in Taipei.  She concentrated her academic study on Nankuan with the help of Mr. Yu Cheng-yao, a master on Nankuan history.  Her new works include "Draft of Central China Classical Music", and the essay, "Research on Chin-Son Three Tones and Nankuan."

Between 1985 and 1995 Ms. Chen has led her troupe to America, Europe, Australia, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia as well as the China Mainland, performing at more than twenty institutions of higher learning with over one hundred concerts.  In 1990 she produced the CD, Nankuan: Thousand-Year-Old Music of China, that won the Executive Yuan “Golden Cauldron” Tripod Award for Best Producer given by the Government Information Office.  In November of 1991, she was invited to sing and perform at the Music Salon at the Presidential Palace.  In 1994 she organized and established the Han Tang Yuefu Arts Centre and has been serving to date as Artistic Director.  In 1995 she completed the voiced archival project, recording sixty-four great pieces in The Complete Nankuan Instrumental Music.

Her classical choreographed musical theatre pieces include Yange Xing (Sumptuous Feasting Song) - Liyuan Dance & Music, and Introduction to Nankuan Music commissioned by the Cultural Commission.  This work won two Golden Tripod Awards for Best Record and Best Performance from the Government Information Office of the Executive Yuan.  In 1996 she completed the Sequel to The Complete Nankuan Instrumental Music and Project for the Transmission and Preservation of Liyuan Musical Theatre, created the large-scale musical theatre Musical Dances Ancient and Modern.  In 1997 she won the Global Chinese Culture and Art Award for Ethnic Music.