Showcasing traditional arts

"The inviting of non-traditional Chinese acts also leads to costly problems, especially when you have to commission a special score."

According to Wang, criticism that has been leveled at organizers for focusing on China rather than Taiwan is unwarranted. "The festival is not simply a celebration of Han culture but of all Taiwan's and China's many diverse and contrasting cultures and traditional arts," he said.

Although ticket sales for both classical concerts and more contemporary shows have fallen to an all-time low over the past three years, the festival enjoys average ticket sales of roughly 70 percent. This, according to Wang, proves that while large numbers of Taiwan's youth are now converts to electornica, sport garish late 1970s new-wave hairdos and are more knowledgeable about albums by Linkin Park than the groundbreaking works of late classical musicologist Liang Tsai-ping (梁在平), there remains a viable market for traditional music, even among the young.

"You'd be surprised at how many young people actually come to the concerts. Most schools have classical orchestras and classical Chinese music education is part of many school curriculums," continued Wang.

This year's special guests include the Tienjin Chinese Orchestra (天津民族樂團), which will be teaming up with the TCO for a special concert which will see the two ensembles performing a selection of tunes old and new.

The Inner Mongolian Acrobatic Troupe (內蒙古雜技團) will be putting its spin on proceedings and adding a different angle to events, when it brings both gymnastic and archery displays to the plaza in front of the Chungshan Hall.

One of the most anticipated aspects of this year's festival is the Taipei Hu-chin Festival (胡琴藝術節). A festival within a festival, so to speak, its five special concerts will see 20 of China's leading players teaming up with local exponents of the centuries-old Chinese instrument.

As in previous years the program is designed to suit audiences of all ages and all musical tastes. With performances such as the Black Dragon Cave (烏龍窟 兒童歌仔戲) aimed at children and performances of nankuan (南管) and peikuan (北管) looking to attract hardcore opera buffs.

Tickets for performances in the 2003 Taipei Traditional Arts Festival range in price from NT$200 to NT$1,800 depending on performance and are available from ERA ticketing or directly from the Chungshan Hall box office. For further ticketing information and a full program of events, check the festival Web site at http://www.csh.taipei.gov.tw.