A country’s level of democracy is reflected in the development of its performing arts, Deputy Minister of Culture Hsiao Tsung-huang (蕭宗煌) said yesterday, ahead of the 30th Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music in Taipei on Aug. 10.
The arts are the most important aspect of a nation’s soft power and traditional arts are the essence of its culture, Hsiao said.
“In Taiwan, we have cultural heritage from China, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, which has produced a melting pot of cultures and acceptance of them,” Hsiao said. “Against that background, we can see great diversity in traditional arts in Taiwan.”
Photo: CNA
The development of a country’s performing arts reflects its level of democracy, he said.
The awards honor artists, groups and works that have contributed to Taiwan’s diverse, creative and rich cultural heritage, organizers said.
“Artists, promoters and people who work in the traditional and cultural performing arts” will be among the winners, National Center for Traditional Arts director Chen Chi-ming (陳濟民) said.
The Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir’s album Image Taiwan II has been nominated for six awards — best cover art, best performance, best recording, best composition, best lyrics and best producer.
The theater production The Cursed Royal Family by the Tang Mei-yun Taiwanese Opera Company has been nominated for best ensemble performance, best script, best actor and best music design.
Singing Organ in the Rainy Night by Gwhyenth Chen (陳毓襄) has been nominated for best art music album, best album producer, best recording, best musical performance and best arrangement.
Sound engineer Yeh Chwei-ching (葉垂青) and playwright Wang An-chi (王安祈) will receive special awards for their “contributions and achievements in the fields of traditional and artistic audio publishing, and theatrical performing arts respectively,” the Ministry of Culture said.
In 2014, the event was separated from the Golden Melody Awards and have since been run by the National Center for Traditional Arts.
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