Dr. Sun Aiguang
Music Director of Sunshine Taipei Symphony Orchestra
Music lovers often ask what motivated me to found the "Sun Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra", because running an orchestra is a job that requires courage and perseverance in order to be sustainable. I founded the orchestra in 2007 with the goal of nurturing the next generation of musicians through education and performing based on my educational training from the National Taiwan Normal University’s educational system and performance training from the music department.
I named the orchestra after my surname “Sun” to thank my parents for their support in developing my music career. The orchestra’s logo was based on my father's hand-written calligraphy and my mother's drawing.
I want to thank the Sun Taipei's administrative team, past and present, for 14 years of hard work and dedication to help the orchestra grow and succeed. Additionally, I would like to thank the parents of the Sun Taipei Youth Orchestra for their attentive support, high spirits, and enthusiasm toward supporting classical music and the all-around learning experience for the next generation.
In each youth orchestra concert, one can see continuous improvement of the students' performance. During each orchestra rehearsal, the biggest reward is seeing the happy smiles on their faces as they "learn with pleasure and grow with confidence".
Currently, Sun Taipei has three organizations: the Sun Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sunshine Taipei Youth Orchestra, and the Sun Taipei Music Association. In addition, Sun Taipei is also preparing for an additional youth group and youth orchestra.
Sun Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra
Sun Taipei Youth Orchestra
Sun Taipei Music Association
The Sun Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra was established in 2007 with the purpose of combining professional music elites from home and abroad to produce high-quality concerts, showcase their talents, and provide a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere for the public. The orchestra provides a platform for classical musicians to perform, and the youth orchestra provides the opportunity to train young musicians to collaborate together.
The Sun Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra has always been active in the art industry since its establishment in 2007. In addition to the concerts produced by the orchestra, the orchestra is often invited to collaborate with other major organizations, such as sacred music and opera. In terms of repertoire, we like to showcase Taiwanese composers to help promote and share Taiwanese works with the world.
In March 2007, Dr. Aikuang Sun, professor in the Department of Music at National Taiwan Normal University, established the "Taipei Sunshine Youth Orchestra'', which provided an opportunity for young domestic music lovers to perform a wide range of repertoire in a high quality setting. The young musicians were able to gain performance experience in orchestra ensembles, chamber ensembles, and concertos, which embolden their spirits and self-confidence and deepened their love for music. The range of repertoire and performance settings helped the young musicians develop their musicianship and knowledge in musical pedagogy. The young musicians often need affirmation and encouragement during their musical development, and to inspire and train them to collaborate with one another. In 2008, the orchestra was renamed “Sun Taipei Youth Orchestra”.
The Sun Taipei Youth Orchestra meets weekly at the National Taiwan Normal University General Building from 7:00 to 9:00 on Saturday night. To implement the educational philosophy of the orchestra, we set teaching and performance goals to build a high-quality orchestra learning environment for young adults and families who love classical music. Every semester we hold concerts in urban and rural areas, master classes, talent-show dinners, sectionals, mid-term examinations, final examinations, and final concerts.