National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan
LIAO Chiung-chih, the Legendary Diva of Taiwanese Opera, and NCO


Having performed for nearly 60 years, LIAO Chiung-chih is revered as the foremost “tragic female lead” in Taiwanese opera.

The NCO created this program, based on the hardships in her personal life, as her swan song when LIAO announced her retirement in 2008 to devote time to teaching. It evokes the atmosphere of her time through songs and multimedia.

LIAO's unmarried mother died in an accident on board a ship, and as an adult, she experienced two unsuccessful marriages. Through such difficulties, she found answers to the questions arising from the human condition, and shares those answers on stage. They are at the heart of Taiwanese opera. Sometimes she plays the young and loving Yi-chuan from Madam San-Wu Chen and sometimes the grieving JIAO Guei-yin from Guei-Yin Abandoned by Wang Kuei. Her life story is the foundation of this performance and represents the tales of innumerable women of great achievement.

《LIAO Chiung-chih, the Legendary Diva of Taiwanese Opera, and NCO》

LIAO Chiung-chih
Taiwanese opera legend LIAO Chiung-chih has received many awards in Taiwan over her long and distinguished career, including the Living National Treasure Award and the National Cultural Award from the Ministry of Culture, the National Award for Arts from the National Cultural and Arts Foundation and the Living Heritage Award from the Ministry of Education. LIAO is renowned for playing kudan (tragic woman) roles, bringing audiences to tears with her voice and acting.


National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan
Affiliated with the National Center for Traditional Arts, the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan (NCO) is the national-level Chinese orchestra under the Ministry of Culture. It brings together some of the finest Chinese musical instrument talent in Taiwan, and is dedicated to preserving tradition, while embracing contemporary Taiwanese culture. By producing and performing original works that draw on traditional Taiwanese music, the NCO taps into the allure of local music. In recent years, the NCO has strived to use traditional music to retell the stories of Taiwan, selecting local material and talent to connect Taiwan with the world through music. The ultimate aim is to build a brand of orchestral music unique to Taiwan.


Executive Producer / WU Rung-shun
Producer / LIU Li-chen
Lead Performer / LIAO Chiung-chih
Conductor / YAN Hui-chang
Director / TAI Chun-fang
Playwright / SHIN Ju-fang
Composer / LU Liang-hui
Songwriter / KO Ming-feng
Cast / ZHANG Meng-yi, WANG Tai-ling, LIN Wei-ling, HAN Yun, JIANG Ting-ying, ZHANG Min-jun
Dancers / CHUANG Kai-wen, PENG Hsiao-yin
National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan