With the support of the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles is pleased to help present the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO, Taiwan Philharmonic)’s From Formosa: Taiwan Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble 2026 U.S. Tour, which will take place in multiple cities across the United States in May 2026. Within the jurisdiction of Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles, the tour includes an invitation-only performance in San Diego on May 13, a public ticketed performance in Los Angeles on May 15, and a public ticketed performance in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 17. Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and Taiwanese American Heritage Week in May, the tour presents Taiwan’s diverse cultural landscape through music and deepens cultural exchange between Taiwan and the United States.
As one of Taiwan’s leading professional orchestras, the National Symphony Orchestra has long been dedicated to promoting Taiwanese musical creation, international exchange, and contemporary performance. This tour will be presented in a chamber music format, led by NSO Acting Concertmaster Hao-Tun Teng, joined by violinist Yi-Ju Chen, violist Jubel Chen, cellist Yi-Shien Lien, and pianist Chun-Chieh Yen. The program will also feature TBT Taiwu Ballads Troupe, which has long been devoted to preserving and sharing traditional Paiwan songs. Through this refined chamber ensemble format, the tour highlights the cultural depth and contemporary vitality of Taiwanese music.
The program brings together Western classical traditions, Taiwanese Indigenous music, Hakka culture, and contemporary composition. Featured works include Aaron Copland’s Two Pieces for String Quartet, Tyzen Hsiao’s The Highlander’s Suite, Yun-Jou Chen’s Terra/Liturgy, commissioned by the Hakka Affairs Council, and Ke-Chia Chen’s new work Silver Fields. Silver Fields will receive its world premiere during this tour. Written for piano quintet, the piece draws upon the imagery of Taiwanese Indigenous music and demonstrates how contemporary Taiwanese composers engage with land, identity, and cultural memory through the language of chamber music.
The Phoenix performance on May 17 will feature a special collaboration with renowned Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai. Nakai is one of today’s leading Native American flute performers and has long explored the intersections of Indigenous music with classical, jazz, and cross-genre traditions. In this performance, he will join the NSO chamber ensemble in presenting Lake That Speaks and Amazing Grace, creating a meaningful dialogue between Taiwanese Indigenous musical traditions and Native American musical expression.
Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles stated that the NSO chamber ensemble’s U.S. tour not only brings outstanding performances by Taiwanese composers and musicians to American audiences, but also presents the diversity and openness of Taiwanese culture through Indigenous, Hakka, and contemporary music. Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles will continue to support collaborations between Taiwanese performing artists and major international arts institutions and communities, further expanding the visibility and influence of Taiwanese culture on the West Coast and beyond.
Event Information
Event Title: From Formosa: Taiwan Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble 2026 U.S. Tour
Los Angeles Performance
Date and Time: Friday, May 15, 2026, 7:00 PM
Venue: Thayer Hall, Colburn School, Los Angeles
Admission: USD 25–40
Tickets: https://colburnschool.edu/calendar/events/from-formosa-taiwan-philharmonic-chamber-ensemble-2026-us-tour/
Phoenix Performance
Date and Time: Sunday, May 17, 2026, 3:00 PM
Venue: Phoenix Chinese Baptist Church, Phoenix, Arizona
Admission: USD 50
Tickets: http://taiwanphoenix.org