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In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a bill designating May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
Today, the third week in May is further marked as Taiwanese American Heritage Week. It celebrates the presence and culture of the roughly 330,000 people in the U.S. who identify as Taiwanese.
This year, 2026, marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Taiwan Philharmonic, known at home as the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO).
Forty years, and a special week. What better time for musicians from the Taiwan Philharmonic to tour the U.S.? From May 15–19 the Taiwan Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble will perform in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and New York on a tour titled “From Formosa” (an old name for Taiwan).
The concerts will include Taiwanese masterworks, cross-cultural collaborations, and world premieres – music that bridges Western chamber music traditions with Taiwan’s cultural heritage and Indigenous communities.
The performances take place at Thayer Hall at the Colburn School in Los Angeles; Camelback Bible Church in Phoenix; and in New York, at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center. It will be the first U.S. tour of musicians from the Taiwan Philharmonic since 2023.
Indigenous Vocal Music
Led by Taiwan Philharmonic Concertmaster Hao-Tun Teng, the performances will also feature pianist Chun-Chieh Yen and a collaboration with Taiwu Ballads Troupe (TBT), a leading Indigenous Taiwanese vocal ensemble specializing in music from the Paiwan people of Taiwan.
TBT originated in 2004 at Taiwu Elementary School in Pingtung, Taiwan, where founder Camake Valaule began working with tribal elders to document traditional Paiwan melodies and vocal polyphony. TBT’s original members learned the songs, then continued the process of preservation by teaching them to a new generation. Since then the group has released three Golden Melody Award-winning albums. (A fourth collection comes out this month).
TBT’s history reflects a tradition of teaching music to children from an early age. As the Taiwan Philharmonic’s Music Director Jun Märkl told me ahead of the orchestra’s 2023 U.S. tour, “People of all ages enjoy and engage with the Philharmonic, in part due to Taiwan’s wonderful early music education programs.”
About the orchestra’s international travels, Märkl explained that “as ambassadors of Taiwan, we hope to build a connection between Taiwan and other countries through our performances on tour.”
Intertwining Cultures
The Phoenix concert will also feature a guest from a hosting culture, Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai. Nakai will join the ensemble in music that creates an artistic dialogue between Native American and Taiwanese traditions.
Other highlights of the program include music by Aaron Copland; world premieres of works by Ke-Chia Chen (whose music was featured on the 2023 tour as well) and Yun-Jou Chen; Taiwanese Indigenous music for string quartet and chorus (arranged by Ting-Chuan Chen); and The Highlander’s Suite for Piano Quintet by Tyzen Hsiao.
Dr. Lydia Wen-Chen Kuo, Executive Director of the Taiwan Philharmonic, said:
“The Taiwan Philharmonic has long been committed to building meaningful cultural bridges through music. Following our previous international tours, ‘From Formosa’ gives us the timely opportunity to share Taiwan’s artistic voice in the United States. These collaborations with Indigenous artists from both countries reflect shared histories, traditions, and a deeply personal connection that transcends borders.”
