ITEA Journal Volume 49 Number 2 (Winter 2022)

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An Interview with Fu-Hsuan Duan:
By Dr. Kevin Weng Lin

The best way to describe Mr. Duan is as the father of tuba in Taiwan. I met him for the first time in 2005 when he invited me to play as a soloist with Taiwan's National Symphony Orchestra in which he served as the principal tuba player. We have been friends ever since and I have visited the country many times. Duan is a passionate musician and teacher and without doubt - responsible for much of the island's explosive development in brass playing. Some of the brass players in Taiwan are frankly amongst the best in the world. I encourage you to read this insightful interview made by Dr. Weng Lin.

Øystein Baadsvik, ITEA Vice-President

This interview is a comprehensive document on the life and career of Prof. Fu-Hsuan Duan, a first-generation tubist from Taiwan who has earned the affectionate title of "Father of Tuba" in Taiwan. It is my hope that this interview will bring deserving recognition to a gentleman who has made a significant impact on the Taiwanese tuba and euphonium community.

The Republic of China (ROC), commonly called Taiwan, is a country in East Asia that, compared to many other countries, is relatively young. The ROC was formed in 1911 when Sun Yat-Sen led the successful overthrow of the Qing dynasty and set up a democratic government in mainland China. This government was entrusted with control of the island of Taiwan by the allied powers in 1945 after the surrender of Japan, but the resumption of the Chinese Civil War resulted in the ROC's loss of mainland China to the Chinese Communist Party in 1949. The ROC then fled to Taiwan, which has maintained its own independent government since then.

Taiwan's commitment to music performance and instruction has been a hallmark of its existence since before its formal separation from the mainland. The first professional full-time orchestra in Taiwan was the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan (NTSO), which was established in 1945 and is still one of five full-time orchestras on the island. The others are the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO) founded in 1969, the Kaoshiung Symphony Orchestra (KSO) founded in 1981, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO/Taiwan Philharmonic) founded in 1986, and the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO) founded in 2002. With the exception of the ESO, these orchestras are founded, operated, funded, or supervised by Taiwan's central or local government.

Regarding the educational system, many of the universities in Taiwan that offer musical education are also government funded. Those that have the title "National," such as the National Taiwan University of Arts, are funded by the central government, and schools whose names include cities, such as the University of Taipei, are usually funded by that city's government. Most of these schools have at least two music departments, one for Western classical music and the other for traditional Chinese/Taiwanese music.

Prof. Fu-Hsuan Duan was the first tubist to receive professional music training in Taiwan. Prior to him winning and being appointed Principal Tuba in the NSO (Taiwan Philharmonic), there were no full-time positions for tubists in Taiwan. In addition, Mr. Duan was not only the first full-time tuba professor at the university level, but until the 2000s he was the only qualified tuba professor on the island. Because of his effort and leadership, the level of brass playing and particularly tuba and euphonium playing has grown significantly. Prof. Fu-Hsuan Duan's contributions have had an incalculable impact on an entire country of tuba and euphonium players.

The following interview is the best opportunity to bring Mr. Duan's philosophy to the attention of the broader tuba community and to the next generation of young and aspiring tubists.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Prof. Fu-Hsuan Duan first began to play tuba because of the encouragement of his junior high school band director, Guang-Wu Luo. In 1986, Duan began his musical studies at Taiwan's National College of Arts and the following year received a government-funded full scholarship to continue his musical studies in France at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris. There he was taught by Fernand Lelong, tuba professor at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1982-1999 and tubist in the Orchestra de Paris from 1967-1999. Upon returning to Taiwan in 1991, Prof. Duan was appointed Principal Tubist of the National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan Philharmonic). He retired from this position in 2009 and began a teaching career as a full-time Professor of Tuba at the Chinese Culture University. Since 2009, Prof. Duan has been regularly invited to serve as an advisor and judge for the Jeju International Competition and Wind Ensemble Festival in South Korea, a prestigious international competition for brass and percussion. As an avid promoter of the tuba and euphonium in Taiwan, Prof. Duan has also organized a variety of musical events, such as the Tuba Festival for New Year, and annual winter and summer camps for Tuba and Euphonium.

Fu-Hsuan Duan

Other notable positions Prof. Duan has held:

• Current Adjunct Professor of Tuba at National Taiwan Normal University, National Taiwan University of Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts.

• Current Senior Tuba player, Yeh Shu-Han Brass Quintet, which is the first professional brass quintet in Taiwan.

Since 2007, Prof. Duan started assisting with Tuba New Year. Mr. Duan is fifth from the right in the front row.

• Honorary Life President of the Taiwan Tuba Euphonium Association.

• Current Band Conductor of Chin-Shin Junior High School, Dahu Elementary School, and more.

• Former International Tuba Artist of Yamaha Corporation and Miraphone Corporation.

THE EARLY YEARS: CHILDHOOD TRAINING

Kevin Weng Lin [KWL] : As a child, what was your dream job?

Fu-Hsuan Duan [FHD] : When I was a child, I never imagined that I would become a professional musician. My dream was to join the Air Force and become a fighter pilot. I applied and eventually was accepted for military duty in the Air Force but due to my family's opposition, I was not allowed to pursue that opportunity.

KWL : What was your first instrument? When did you start playing the tuba? And why?

The Yeh Shu-Han Brass Quintet. Left to right: Tomohiro Kunita, Chang-Po Chen, Shu-Han Yen, Kuang-Ching Sung, Fu-Hsuan Duan.

FHD : When I was in junior high school, I joined the school's wind band. The first instrument I played was euphonium. I was assigned the euphonium by my band director, Mr. Guang-Wu Luo, and after a few months the band could not find a student who wanted to play the tuba. My band director told me, "Duan, do you know that if you switch to tuba, it will help you get taller." At that moment, getting taller was my top priority, so I volunteered to play the tuba without hesitation. Today, I am only five feet, five inches as a result. Although I began on the euphonium, I considered the tuba as my first instrument since it was the first instrument that I really liked and invested myself in.

KWL : When did you start playing the tuba seriously? When did you decide to become a professional tubist?

FHD : When I was fifteen, I decided to apply for the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, which is one of the best professional art schools for high school students in Taipei. There were three reasons I made the decision to apply: first of all, I realized that I really loved playing the tuba and making music; second, the National Taiwan Academy of Arts is a public school, which meant tuition was much cheaper than the other schools; and last, I am embarrassed to admit that the National Taiwan Academy of Arts did not require test scores for physics and chemistry, my worst academic subjects. In Taiwan, there is a standardized exam for junior high school students. Test scores are used for enrollment in high school.

There is an interesting story about my National Taiwan Academy of Arts entrance audition. In my junior high school band, I did not learn or understand the formal notated sheet music. I only recognized the numbered musical notation.

Also, I could not play the piano, which was also a requirement for the entrance exam. During this period of time, the music training system in Taiwan was divided into two categories: the traditional Chinese/Taiwanese music department and the western music department. Through luck, I found out that the traditional Chinese/Taiwanese music department had positions for tuba majors. They did not have a piano requirement and also provided the numbered musical notation for the test. Therefore, I attended the Chinese/Taiwanese music department for senior high school rather than the traditional western music one.

KWL : Were your parents or family members involved with music? What was their point of view towards your decision to become a professional musician?

FHD : None of my family members were involved with music, and furthermore, I did not receive support from my parents in the beginning. My father was a shoemaker, and my mother was a local businesswoman. They both refused to let me join the Air Force because of its risk, and when I decided to play the tuba, my father also disagreed with that. Once I was accepted into the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, had more performance opportunities, and received the government's full scholarship (Taiwan Government Sponsorship for Overseas Study Scholarship) for studying abroad, only then did my parents endorse my decision.

KWL : Can you describe your early teachers and their influence? Also, the music environment in 1980s Taiwan? What was the difficulty?

FHD : Before I studied abroad, I had several important teachers. My first teacher was Mr. Guang-wu Luo, my junior high school band director. He introduced me to the tuba and taught me several basic skills. He also allowed me to use the school's instrument for the National Taiwan Academy of Arts audition. Without his generosity and guidance, I would not have the career that I have now.

My next teacher was Mr. Jin-gui Zeng, who was most likely the first tuba teacher of young tuba students in Taiwan, even though his primary job was a gym teacher. During the 1970s and 1980s, there were no tuba teachers who had received professional music training. Mr. Zeng taught me a lot about the tuba. In our first lesson, Mr. Zeng asked me what kind of tuba I played and what key it was pitched in. I could not answer his questions because I did not even know that tubas were made in four different keys.

During my studies at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, Mr. De-Ju Hsu, Professor of Trumpet, was my primary teacher. He influenced me a lot. The only thing he wanted me to learn was the importance of J.B. Arban's book, The Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet, which is an important book for all brass instruments. So, I spent lots of time practicing out of Arban's book.

Another teacher I learned from at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts before I departed for Paris was Steve Si-Yuan Chuang. Mr. Chuang is widely regarded as the father of the French Horn in Taiwan. He taught me the importance of music theory and how to apply it to the music I was playing. The better I understood music theory, the more I improved, especially in how easy I could sing with clear direction in phrases and with better intonation.

When it came to the challenges that I experienced learning the tuba in Taiwan in the 1970s and 1980s, all of my teachers were great mentors. The only difficulty was that none of them played the tuba. I did not have a chance to learn in a more systematic and comprehensive system, so most of the time I could only explore everything by myself.

KWL : What tuba players influenced you in your early years?

FHD : In the 1970s and 1980s, there was no internet or social media outlets. It was very hard to receive information about what was going on in the world. Additionally, I had very little money and could not buy tuba solo or orchestral recordings. In my early years, I really did not know too much about "tuba." In other words, I did not know other professional or international tuba players.

STUDYING ABROAD: CONSERVATOIRE DE PARIS, FRANCE

The tuba and euphonium studio of the Conservatoire de Paris. Prof. Duan is on the far right.

KWL : From your resume, I noticed you had a full-time position in Taiwan's National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan Philharmonic) before you departed for Paris. What made you decide to study abroad?

FHD : Actually, before joining the NSO, I worked for the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) mainly playing the trombone/bass trombone. After I graduated from the Academy of the Arts, I served two years of compulsory military service. During that time, I noticed that there was no full-time position for tuba in Taiwan's orchestras; only trombone positions were available. Therefore, I took advantage of serving in the military and taught myself to play the trombone. After finishing the compulsory military service, I quickly found the job in the NTSO. However, the job I found was a trombone/bass trombone position. I remember there was a period of time where I served or subbed in almost all of the professional orchestras in Taiwan playing the trombone, bass trombone, or tuba.

On the topic of studying abroad, when I decided to go to Paris, my goal was not only to get that certificate or degree. I had high expectations for myself and the tuba. In the 1980s, I was still lacking the knowledge about the tuba, but I had the ambition and dream of being like my piano and string colleagues, who were already competing in international competitions. I asked myself, "Is it okay for me to just stay in Taiwan and restrict myself?" Therefore, I decided to go to Paris. Furthermore, the NSO agreed to hold the tuba position as an unpaid leave of absence for me, which I could not refuse.

KWL : Because you received Taiwan's government full educational scholarship, can you talk about the application process?

FHD : I applied for the Taiwan Government Sponsorship for Overseas Study Scholarship twice. The first time I received a one-year contract and declined the offer. I applied again the following year and was awarded the four-year contract, which included all tuition fees and living expenses.

However, I think I got the scholarship, not because I was better or got a higher score than the other applicants. I think it was because I was the first tubist to apply for it in history. During the 1980s, there still were not any young talented students majoring in tuba. I still remembered on the application form, the government only provided one position for all instrumentalists. Eventually, they accepted two applicants, and I was one of the two. From this result, you can understand that the government really wanted to cultivate a young tuba musician.

I felt ecstatic when I received the notification. I immediately started learning French. Due to receiving the full scholarship, my now-wife and I decided to get married and move to Paris together. Before I left for Paris, I was super busy working at the NSO and teaching my students as usual. In addition, I went to language school after work to learn French and planned my wedding. My wedding was in July and a few weeks later my bride and I departed for France.

KWL : Why did you choose to study in France?

FHD : Before I went to Paris, I did not know anything about France. It was all about the government's full scholarship. That same year, I also applied to attend school at Indiana University in the United States. Because communication was poor back in the 1980s, letters between Taiwan and the United States took a long time. Therefore, the moment I got the government's full scholarship to study in Paris, I did not finish my application for Indiana University.

There is an interesting story about my decision to study in Paris. My three trombone colleagues in the NSO were all from the United States and graduated from Northwestern University. They asked me why I decided to go to Paris and tried to convince me to study in the United States. Even though they did not speak it, I felt like they were trying to tell me that "you know there are no brass players in Paris, right?" It was just a joke, but honestly, I did not know anything about the United States or France. Everything was about the money.

KWL : What difficulties did you have as a student in France?

FHD : For me, there was no specific thing that was too difficult. As you know, most western people are passionate and very talkative. Whenever I had an issue or question, the people were very helpful. Regarding the French language, except for the really hard academic terms, I had no problem with normal conversation or discussing the topic related to tuba and music. Moreover, my wife was with me and there was no difficulty in living. I remember the Conservatoire de Paris' student dorm was one of the best one in Paris. Although some current students thought it was not good enough, I felt I was living in paradise.

KWL : Can you describe your main instructor, Fernand Lelong, in the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris (Conservatoire de Paris)? What was his influence on you? Besides Mr. Lelong, who else influenced you while you were studying in Paris?

FHD : I had three main instructors, my principal professor, Mr. Fernand Lelong, and his two teaching assistants. Forgive me, I cannot remember their names, but I do remember one of them giving me lots of ideas on how to analyze the music and the other one spending lots of time on fundamental skills and techniques.

In the Conservatoire de Paris, Mr. Lelong did not spend much time with me because he was busy teaching a lot of students, not only in the Conservatoire but from around Europe. The times I learned most were from observing other students playing during their lessons, studio classes, and their individual practice sessions. Their playing and practice methods gave me plenty of new ideas and inspiration.

In my opinion, Mr. Lelong's playing had already surpassed what most consider to be an excellent tuba player. He was a true musician. He often gave me the visual image that he was a cellist or a male singer, and not only a tubist. It is hard to describe how good he was, I can only say that I will not forget his musicianship, his sound, his voice as long as I live. Although I left Paris more than thirty years ago, sometimes I will feel his presence sitting next to me telling me how to sing through the music. Overall, I think I was lucky to have had a teacher like Mr. Lelong.

KWL : I know lots of French tuba players put plenty of time into solo repertoire; were you taught orchestral excerpts while studying in France?

FHD : Although I was serving in a professional orchestra at a comparably young age, I did not learn how to play excerpts or how to play with an ensemble when I was in Taiwan. In Paris, most of my colleagues were preparing etudes and solos. Some of them were very talented, playing new concertos, sonatas, or Bach unaccompanied suites in each of their lessons. Occasionally, Mr. Lelong would have someone play orchestral excerpts during studio class if they were preparing for a local orchestra audition. I did not understand why a student would invest so much time preparing and performing excerpts.

As I got older, I gradually received more information from America. I realized that by practicing the excerpts one could gain profound knowledge. At the same time, I also heard for the first time the term "mock audition." It is awesome that we can set up a mock audition to help students to simulate a real audition environment. So, to answer your question, I did learn some orchestral excerpts in Paris, but most of the time I was observing others. I did not really spend too much time practicing orchestral excerpts when I was a student.

KWL : What was the most memorable experience you had while studying abroad?

FHD : There were lots of good and bad memories. If you want me to talk about one of them related to music, I will say that one day I went to the Orchestre de Paris to meet Mr. Lelong. Since he was still in rehearsal, he invited me to sit on stage next to him to observe. I remember the conductor was Daniel Barenboim and they were rehearsing Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 2 in D major. After a few minutes, I realized that I had played that piece before with the NSO in Taiwan. However, the acoustic and the ensemble's sound were different than the NSO. The sound that the orchestra produced blew my mind!

KWL : In your experience, what is the difference between French and Taiwanese students? Also, what is the difference between the two countries' educational systems and teaching approaches?

FHD : I think it is all about pressure. In Taiwan, the students did not feel the pressure to improve from their peers. Either that or the atmosphere was not competitive enough, which caused them to lose motivation to put more effort into practicing. However, when Taiwanese students decided to study abroad, they started trying their best to make themselves great because they realized how far behind they were. Take me for instance; my first few months in Paris, I realized most of my colleagues were better than me. I told myself that I needed to work harder, to at least be at the same level as the others. If I could not keep up with the pace, I would not be able to receive the certificate. I could have been expelled from the studio. There was even a chance I would not be able to thrive as a tubist.

I think the biggest difference between the two countries was the environment of competition. In the 1980s, I could count on one hand how many tuba players were in Taiwan. There was barely any competition among us, and even if there was any competition, we were not on the level of other tubists outside of Taiwan. When I attended the Conservatoire de Paris audition, the school assigned an accompanist to us for the audition. Just a few days before the audition date, I was called to meet the pianist in the recital hall. There were more than sixty tubists waiting to play through their pieces. I prepared the Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto, which I thought was the most challenging and hardest piece at the time. I quickly realized that most of the applicants could play it, and also sounded super awesome. This was really surprising and made a lasting impression.

PRINCIPAL TUBA, NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TAIWAN PHILHARMONIC)

The brass section of the National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan Philharmonic). Mr. Duan is on the bottom right.

KWL : I heard you mention before that you have played in almost all the professional orchestras in Taiwan. Besides the NSO, what other professional orchestras did you play with in Taiwan? Why did you decide to choose to stay with NSO after you finished your studies in France?

FHD : Before I went to Paris, I played as the full-time trombone/bass trombone with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. However, soon after that, my mother became very ill. So, I quit the job with the NTSO, went back to Taipei, and joined the NSO. The reason I rejoined the NSO after I finished my degree in Paris was because I had a contract with NSO that they would hold the position for me on the condition that I would return to work immediately upon completion of my degree.

Regarding other orchestral experience, there were not many full-time tuba positions in the Taiwanese orchestras in the 1980s, nor were there many tuba students in college in Taiwan. Therefore, in addition to the NSO, I played lots of gigs around Taiwan, like per-service orchestras, wind symphonies, college and high school ensembles, among others. I also subbed frequently in the other major symphony orchestras in Taiwan.

KWL : Who are your favorite composers? In your orchestral career, which conductor did you admire most?

FHD : Honestly, as a tuba player, my favorite composers definitely are Mozart and Beethoven, because I can receive full pay and stay at home. I am just kidding! I will say Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Bruckner. Especially with Mahler and Bruckner, you can feel strong emotions from their music. Tchaikovsky is all about the energy, I need to be energetic when I play his music, which I really enjoy. Other than those three, since I studied in Paris and spent most of my time on F tuba, I also devoted myself to most of the French works, especially those that have important tuba parts like Berlioz.

As far as conductors, there were several good conductors I admired. Unfortunately, I also cannot remember their names. I think the conductor's nationality affects their music significantly. For example, I remembered there was an East German conductor who came to conduct an All Wagner concert. From the first rehearsal to the end of the performance, the ensemble did not have much verbal communications with him, but through his knowledge of Wagner, and his hand gestures and body language, we had a wonderful Wagner concert, which was probably the best Wagner we had performed.

KWL : Generally speaking, did you enjoy orchestral life?

FHD : I do not have a clear answer. When I was a young student, I was a person who would easily get nervous. Although I sat at the far back of the stage and played with an entire orchestra, I still could not help but be super nervous on stage. Except for the anxiety issue I had during performances, I can tell you I did enjoy my time playing in the orchestra and all that came with it.

KWL : What made you retire from NSO at a relatively young age and devote yourself to a full-time teaching job at a university?

FHD : There were several reasons. First of all, I knew I could not maintain my playing abilities at a high level. Also, there were lots of conflicts between the musicians and the orchestra's administration, and I grew tired of that kind of discordant atmosphere. Finally, there was a full-time teaching position advertised at the Chinese Culture University specifically for brass. This position was extremely rare because in Taiwan, most of the colleges will have only one or two full-time wind faculty that would be responsible for all the winds students, and most of these positions were occupied by woodwind players. I was hired! Because of those reasons, I decided to leave the NSO to make a new chapter of my career. I still love to play in the orchestra and enjoy playing the tuba itself.

KWL : Knowing then what you know now, would you still have retired from the NSO when you did?

FHD : I can only tell you that I do not regret the decision I made. Don't get me wrong, I still love to play in the orchestra if there is an opportunity. Because I was a member of the orchestra for more than twenty years, I occasionally miss the feeling of playing in an ensemble. I have had several chances to sub in the orchestra after my retirement, which brought me back to my time playing in the NSO.

KWL : It has been more than thirty years since you finished your degree in Paris and moved back to Taiwan. In the beginning, in the 1980s, did you encounter any trouble with promoting the tuba to the public?

FHD : It was like being in the desert, there was nothing. The only obstacle was needing to spend more time to promote the instrument. Other than that, I did not encounter too many issues. I just tried my best to do whatever I could. Usually, the people's first image of the tuba is that it is heavy, low, cannot play fast, and can only be an accompanimental instrument. So, several good friends and I formed the first professional brass quintet in Taiwan, the Yeh Shu-Han Brass Quintet. Our main objective was to promote the brass instruments to all corners of Taiwan. We arranged a lot of pieces showcasing the brass instruments. I also spent a lot of time on difficult technical passages to demonstrate to the audience that the tuba can also be a solo instrument and play beautiful melodies.

FULL TIME TUBA PROFESSOR AT THE CHINESE CULTURE UNIVERSITY

KWL : I still remember hearing when I was a sophomore (2013) that one of your ears had become impaired with only 30% of its normal-hearing ability. As a musician, teacher, and conductor, it must have been a crushing blow. Can you share your personal mindset at that moment and how it affected your career?

FHD : I was diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss, also called ear-stroke. Even now, there is a constant noise in my ear, in my head, which really bothers me (also known as tinnitus). In the beginning, frankly speaking, I was super nervous and anxious. It not only affected my hearing ability but also caused balance issues in my body. Also, I was afraid of what I should do if the other ear lost its capability to hear. However, I gradually learned to co-exist with the noise and to not over think it too much. I still remember my doctor telling me that lots of people could not live with this kind of constant noise and would commit suicide. Luckily, I found my own way to live with it.

At the same time, my eyes were also developing cataracts. There was a time when I started questioning myself, how can I keep being a musician without good vision and good hearing? But everything turned out well, at least nothing worse has happened so far. Overall, my hearing loss has almost no impact on me now, and I had a successful cataract surgery.

KWL : You have already dedicated yourself to teaching for more than thirty years, not only private lessons but lessons in conducting and other forms of coaching. How do you keep being motivated and enthusiastic?

FHD : I always told my students that my job, as a teacher, is to try to help students in whatever way I can. So, for me, I always try my best to help them resolve the problems they have. But, as you know, sometimes people do not always have the same vibe. So, I told myself to not be too subjective, and try not to have prejudice towards students or preconceived notions of anyone. However, music is subjective. Honestly, it is hard for me to find that proper balance sometimes.

As far as maintaining my motivation and enthusiasm, my main duties now are teaching and conducting ensembles from elementary school to college. Most of my students are under the age of twenty-five. They are super young, passionate, and eager to learn. By working with the younger generation, it is hard for me to lose my passion. The most important thing is, I really enjoy and love playing and teaching music, which fortunately is my job.

KWL : I know you have put lots of effort into conducting ensembles for more than a decade, especially after you retired from the NSO. I am curious, did you teach yourself how to conduct?

Prof. Duan conducting in Taiwan National Concert Hall.

FHD : I did not receive any formal training in conducting. I think I have these skills because I played in an orchestra for more than twenty years. Early on, I always tried to imitate our main director and guest conductors, from their hand and body gestures to their facial expressions and communication skills. Most of my knowledge of conducting is from observation during my tuba career in NSO.

KWL : In Taiwan, there are lots of tuba players in each level of band, from elementary school to high school. However, only a few of them decided to keep playing tuba in college, even fewer of them will consider it as their profession. What is your view about it as a full-time college professor?

FHD : Just like you say, our wind band/ensemble system has developed quite well in all the school levels. One of the reasons for the decline in numbers is the declining birth rate. If you do some research, you will find that in Taiwan the market for other instruments has reduced now more than tuba. For example, last year for Taiwan's college music entrance exam, there were over fifteen tubists and over ten euphonium players. Although the numbers are comparably low, you could find there were several instruments that had fewer than ten applicants for the whole country's college music entrance exam. In Taiwan, the music colleges' entrance exam is held by the government once per year.

I absolutely hope everyone can start learning about music or the arts in general. I also believe that the arts can be anyone's career. In my opinion, people do not need to be professional musicians, but what we can do is let more people love music. For example, I have lots of new students that are sons or daughters of my previous students or close friends.

Most of my previous students did not become professional musicians, but because they loved music, they influenced the next generation to love music.

For me, for us, what we can do is try our best to influence more people, and hopefully they will influence the next generation and their friends. Maybe there will be less chance to have someone like my father who did not support me in learning music.

KWL : You have been a judge for many international tuba and brass instrument competitions like the Jeju Brass Competition. You must have seen many talented young musicians from all over the world. Compared to other countries, what do you think about Taiwan's college students' general performing level? What do you think are the obstacles for current Taiwanese tuba students? Do you have any suggestions for them?

2010 Jeju International Brass Competition, Tuba Jury Panel. Left to right: Roland Szentpali, Fu-Hsuan Duan, Oystein Baadsvik, Roger Bobo, Hiroyuki Yasumoto, Sung Joo Yoo.

FHD : In my experience as a judge, in the Jeju Brass Competition for instance, I think Taiwan's students were inconsistent. They could not produce a consistent solid performance from beginning to end. They usually have a lot of issues related to intonation. The main reasons that students do not have better intonation are that their teachers cannot play in tune, that the students have not developed their ears, or that some of them do not think their intonation is a problem. Honestly speaking, intonation is one of my weaknesses. Although there are some teachers now who are really focusing on intonation, lots of instructors are still not trained to have good intonation. Therefore, how can they train their students to be aware of this problem and have great intonation? Later in my teaching career, I started adjusting my approach and tried my best to fix my own and my students' intonation issues.

These days, I would say that students from all over the world are generally having the same issue, including Taiwanese students. First of all, the students need to know what the problem is and face it, but a lot of them do not know what the problem is. As an artist, you must be patient. In today's society, there are too many distractions. I recommend that all students need to know how to plan their schedule from the practice room to the concert stage. After you make a detailed plan, just execute it!

Among Asians, Japanese students and their performing levels are always in the lead. Additionally, one of the Asian countries whose students have most impressed me with their level is Korea. Their average level has really improved in the last fifteen years. For all the Taiwanese students, I would like to say that if others-Japanese, Korean students-work harder and improve more than you, then you will be left behind. We are heading in the right direction, but their advancement is higher at the moment. Please be open-minded and keep practicing.

KWL : Can you generally discuss the level of the tuba or brass playing of Taiwan during the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s?

FHD : Let's start with my generation, which started with nothing. I always felt that the position I have now is because I was born forty years earlier. If I was to start today, I would not be able to have the career I have had. It is far more competitive now, and the level of playing is incredibly better than thirty to forty years ago.

Twenty to thirty years ago, lots of students decided to play the tuba because they were not good at academic learning or other instruments. Therefore, at that time, a lot of my students lacked many talents. No offense, but my wife called this situation "the worse getting worse." General improvement was difficult because most of them were not voluntarily playing the tuba and lacked passion. However, in the last decade, more and more students with amazing talent have come to me for instruction. You can see their passion and I can feel they truly love the tuba and music. So, in general, the level of tuba and euphonium playing in Taiwan has obviously increased, especially in the past ten years. Furthermore, there are more students studying abroad, and they have brought information from all around the world back to Taiwan. For me, I am really optimistic about the next generation.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

KWL : What equipment did you play from early life to most recently?

FHD : My first tuba was from my middle school's band. I cannot remember the brand and model, but it was an E-flat tuba. My second tuba was a Jupiter, but I cannot remember the exact model for that one either. Then I started learning on a Miraphone BB-flat tuba. After I graduated from high school, that is when I decided to buy my first professional horn, a Hirsbrunner. Therefore, I have two Hirsbrunners, one pitched in F and the other CC. They are both really great. When I studied in Paris, my professors and colleagues recommended that I switch to Miraphone.

I also have tried several different brands of instruments. About ten or fifteen years ago, I became a Yamaha International Tuba Artist. The quality of their instruments is fantastic and very consistent. There are not many differences from one Yamaha horn to another. Yamaha tubas are very easy to play; the different registers are pretty even, and the intonation is quite superb. Recently, I decided to play the Miraphone again and became a Miraphone Artist. However, nowadays, I still play my Yamaha 621 F tuba most of the time. Just like I said, the Yamaha horn is so easy to control.

KWL : Are you still playing the tuba? What's your motivation?

FHD : Now, I rarely "practice." I just pick the tuba up and play. Honestly, I do not have too much motivation to continue to practice. However, I just set another goal for myself. I will do a solo recital in 2022, which will be my thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. Because of my age, that will probably be my last solo recital, but who knows.

For this recital, there will not be anything that is flashy or overly technical in nature. I think I might just play some lovely songs that have great importance to me, my wife, and my family. At my age, I have nothing to prove! The only reason I want to do this recital is because it brings me enjoyment.

KWL : What things are important in your life outside of music?

FHD : I really enjoy watching movies. Because of the internet and the technology we have today, there are so many resources and platforms I can use. When I watch a great movie, I get very thrilled and ecstatic. Another interest I have is swimming.

KWL : Summarizing all of your professional accomplishments and your career as a whole, as well as all the recitals you have played, which performance do you think is your best one or the most impressive one?

FHD : Actually, I have never been satisfied with any of my solo recitals. The main reason is I was so easily unnerved, and this has bothered me for my entire career. Once, I tried to record a solo album but could not get a good take when the microphone was set in front of me. Nonetheless, there are some chamber and orchestral performances that I enjoyed. Also, I really enjoy being a conductor, but every time I watch videos, my body and hand movements are so awkward that I do not think they look good.

KWL : Any words of wisdom for Taiwan's next generation?

FHD : A lot of my colleagues and friends told me that they think the level of brass playing in Taiwan, especially low brass, is lower than other instruments. In my opinion, the reason for that is because brass playing is still relatively young in Taiwan. I truly believe that one day, all the instrumental students' average level and competition will become almost the same. Take the five full-time professional orchestras in Taiwan as an example. In the past, I always thought the NSO (National Symphony Orchestra) was and would continue to be the best because the NSO is in the capital, Taipei, which receives the best up-to-date information and resources. Also, they accepted not only Taiwanese citizens but welcomed musicians from all over the world, which has made this orchestra unique and outstanding to this day. However, since many musicians have retired in the past ten years, other orchestras have also welcomed a new generation and most of their new members have studied abroad.

It is the same concept for the individual instruments. It is all about time. Forty years ago, in Taiwan, I believe the low brass section's general level was lower than the other families of instruments. Without a doubt, I attribute this to having only a few skilled trombonists and no skilled tubists. Now, we have built a good foundation. Just keep working and promoting; I believe there is a bright future for the Taiwanese tuba and euphonium community.

The Fu-Hsuan Duan Euphonium-Tuba Quartet.

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