Violin Concerto in D by Tyzen Hsiao---the first violin concerto by a Taiwanese composer

This dissertation will examine the first violin concerto in Taiwan's music history. In 1988, Tyzen Hsiao, considered one of the most important contemporary composers in Taiwan, was commissioned by Taiwanese United Fund to write this concerto in the United States, to which he had immigrated in the late 1970s. The premiere book place in San Diego on November 13, 1992, with American-Taiwanese Cho-liang Lin and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Heiichiro Ohyama. This concerto is a milestone in Hsiao's compositional career.;Hsiao's music in known for its nationalistic style. He successfully combines Taiwanese folk elements with western music form. His style is romantic in nature. With its strong nationalistic traits, Hsiao's music has easily touched the heart of people in Taiwan. There he is called the "Rachmaninoff of Taiwan" because of the similarity of his style. My goal for this study is to motivate more violinists to explore and perform Hsiao's concerto and to make a contribution to the literature of music in Taiwan.