Vera Hui-pin Hsu  許惠品    Conductor/Pianist

Bio   

      Vera Hui-pin Hsu is the winner of the 2009 International Conductors Workshop and Competition. After her U.S. professional conducting debut with Macon Symphony Orchestra in 2008, she is invited to guest conduct Macon Symphony Orchestra in the 09-10 season. In 2008, she served as Chorus Master at Chelsea Opera, NYC. During 2001–2005, Ms. Hsu was the music director of Chi-Yen Symphony Orchestra, Shin-Lin Chamber Orchestra, Da-Guan Youth Orchestra, Nan-Ping Youth Orchestra, and Shih-Pie Youth Orchestra, as well as the principal conductor of two other youth orchestras. In the 2003 and 2004 seasons, she was invited to be the principal conductor in Kinmen Winter Music Festival. From 2001 to 2003, she served as an assistant conductor in the Orchestra of Taipei National University of Arts where she got her M.A. degree in orchestra conducting. Her master thesis deals with conducting technique analysis of the fourth movement in Brahms Symphony No.1.

     In 2004, Ms. Hsu was chosen to be the only conductor to conduct for Maestro Seiji Ozawa in his master class in Taiwan. She also conducted in the master class of Shao-Chia Lü, then Music Director of Staatsoper Hannover in 2003. After moving to U.S. in 2005, Ms. Hsu continued her conducting study with Adrian Gnam, John Farrer, Daniel Lewis, Donald Thulean, Gregory Pritchard, and Neil Thompson in several workshops. Ms. Hsu was chosen as a runner-up at 2008 International Conductors’ Workshop.

     As a pianist, Ms. Hsu is currently a doctoral (D.M.A.) candidate in piano performance at Graduate Center, CUNY (City University of New York), under the tutelage of Prof. Martin Canin of the Julliard School. She is the finalist in both Taiwan Concerto Competition and Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra Piano Competition, as well as a prize-winner in a number of solo piano competitions in Taiwan. She gave piano recitals and appeared in chamber music concerts throughout New York City, including Carnegie Hall in 2009 May. In 2007, she was invited to perform in the opening gala concert of a serious chamber concerts held at Taipei Economic and Culture Center in New York. She received the highest grade to enter Taipei National University of Arts where she obtained a B.A. degree in piano performance. As an undergraduate, Ms. Hsu works regularly with singers.

Ms. Hsu was born in Taipei, Taiwan. She studied piano at 5 and violin at 6. Ms. Hsu is skilled in violin. As an orchestral violinist, she had performed in China, Japan, U.S.A., and Taiwan. She has also appeared as a violinist in chamber concerts.

She is the winner of the prestigious three-year Taiwan Government Scholarship that supports her piano study in the U.S. She has also been awarded the CUNY University Fellowship. She now lives with her husband in New York City.