ENSEMBLES 2025

Sounds Good Youth String Ensemble

Sounds Good Youth String Orchestra (S.G.Y.S.O.), hailing from Taipei, was established in the spring of 2022 under the auspices of the S.G. Chamber Orchestra. Led by the esteemed maestro Wu Ting-Yu, former concertmaster of the Taiwan Philharmonic (N.S.O.), Maestro Wu meticulously selected a diverse range of string repertoire, and aims to cultivate the younger generation's understanding of the nuances and intricacies required for a harmonious and cohesive string ensemble. Maestro Wu's discerning choices are shaped by his extensive 30-year experience as a professional orchestral musician, adding depth and wisdom to the selection process. Sounds Good Chamber Orchestra is committed to imparting these values to the younger generation. In 2023, they established the Taiwan Malaysia Youth String Workshop (TMYS), a novel international platform designed to facilitate resource-sharing and foster a rich learning environment for young musicians across these two countries and beyond. This initiative aims to bridge cultural divides and expand the horizons of aspiring musicians. In 2024 SGYSO made its debut at the Taiwan National Concert Hall, the extensive repertoire from Vivaldi’s four season to Shostakovich Chamber Symphony and Tacikovsky’s Souveire Florence, with only a few years of training the ensemble can really make great appearance to the audience as a top youth orchestra in Taiwan, From 2023 to 2024 the SGYSO awarded Gold of Honor in the Singapore raffles competition, in 2025 the SGYSO will tour Europe from Vienna to Budapest.

Wu Ting-Yu

Conductor

Professor Wu Ting-Yuh graduated with the degree of Diplôme Excellence de Concertiste from the Ville de Rueil-Malmaison Conservatoire National de Région in France. Born in Kaohsiung, He was the concertmaster of the Kaohsiung City Youth Symphony Orchestra at the age of 14. In 1982, he graduated with first grade in his class from the National Taiwan University of Arts. After graduation, he served as the concertmaster for the Ministry of National Defense Symphony Orchestra and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. In 1988, he went to France to further her studies under Professor Melle Brignon, focusing on solo and chamber music performances during his time abroad. After returning to Taiwan in 1989, Wu was appointed to the concertmaster of the Taiwan Philharmonic National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). With extensive stage experience, he has been invited to perform in mainland China, Russia, and other countries. In 2002, he was invited by the French Institute in Taiwan to record a CD for the 300 Years of French Painting exhibition and to perform in a concert. In May of the same year, he recorded Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons with the Russian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. In addition to his active performance career, Prof. Wu is also deeply committed to teaching, chamber music, and conducting. He currently teaches at the Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan Normal University, and the National Taiwan University of Arts. In 2006, he founded the Salut Taiwan International Music Festival, and in 2022, he was appointed Music Director of the Longtan Philharmonic Orchestra and also Sounds Good Chamber Orchestra in Taipei, Taiwan.

Li Tung Tsao

Conductor

Mr. Tsao graduated with a Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Department of Music at National Taiwan Normal University, studying under Professor Apo Hsu Ching-Hsin. In June 2009, he was selected to participate in the Conducting Institution summer program of the New York Conducting Association (USA), receiving guidance from esteemed conductors such as Lawrence Golan (former conductor of the Phoenix Symphony) and Raymond Harvey (former music director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra). In 2016 and 2018, he was selected for the Chigiana Academy Music Festival in Siena, Italy, where he studied under Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti and esteemed violists Bruno Giuranna and Yuri Bashmet. From 2012 to 2020, he was invited to serve as a string instructor at the Music Professionals Academy of Performing Arts in Malaysia. During his tenure in Kuala Lumpur, he taught at several Chinese independent high schools, gaining extensive experience in music education and performance. In 2016, he founded the Camerata Music Pro Youth Orchestra in Malaysia, organizing annual large-scale concerts and collaborating with institutions such as the University of Malaya Cultural Centre, Soka Gakkai Malaysia, and Sunway University on multiple musical events. Since returning to Taiwan in 2020, he has been actively involved in the local music industry. He co-produced Hsiao Yu-Ting’s album, which was nominated for Best Crossover Album at the 2021 Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music. He also served as the executive producer for the Liudui 300th Anniversary Commemorative Concert commissioned by the Hakka Affairs Council. Starting in 2021, he has been the resident conductor of the Sounds Good Chamber Orchestra and founded the Sounds Good Youth String Orchestra. Alongside Music Director Professor Wu Ting-Yu and Conductor Professor Cheng Li- Pin, he has played a key role in planning and training the ensemble. Under his leadership, the orchestra won the highest honor—the Gold with Honors Award—in the string ensemble category at the Raffles Music Festival in Singapore in both 2023 and 2024. The group has also received high praise for its performances in community outreach programs. He was appointed as conductor faculty at the Salute Taiwan International Music Festival in 2023 and also served as conductor for the Physicians Chamber Orchestra of Taiwan (PCOT) in 2024 and joint concert with Asian Doctor Orchestra (ADO) in 2025.

Competition Program