The 2025 Taipei Music Academy & Festival (TMAF) is set to open this summer on a grand scale. Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Chan, the festival will bring together world-class members of top orchestras and prestigious music conservatories from around the world, uniting talented young musicians from around the globe for a truly unique international classical music event.
Dedicated to nurturing musicians between the ages of 15 and 30, TMAF offers an unparalleled artistic and educational experience. Since its founding in 2019, it has become one of the world’s leading teaching-focused international music festivals. “What sets TMAF apart is the caliber of both the teaching staff and participants,” says Chan. “Our instructors come from the world’s top orchestras and most renowned conservatories, while our students hail from elite music institutions across Taiwan, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The exchange between masters and rising stars ignites an extraordinary artistic synergy.”
The 2025 TMAF boasts an exceptional teaching lineup, making it the most comprehensive roster of any international music festival in Taiwan and a rare offering even in Asia. This year’s participating musicians include David Chan, concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Alexander Kerr, concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Timothy Cobb, principal double bassist of the New York Philharmonic; Joshua Smith, principal flautist of the Cleveland Orchestra; Boris Allakhverdyan, principal clarinettist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and Ben Hong, associate principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Renowned educators from leading music institutions are also featured, such as Mihaela Martin, violin professor at the Cologne University of Music and the Kronberg Academy, and Taiwanese-American violist Hsin-Yun Huang, who teaches at both the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. In total, 18 internationally acclaimed musicians will take part. “TMAF brings together the world’s most celebrated musicians and emerging young talents, creating a vibrant community where music and humanity intersect,” says TMAF Chief Executive Director Che-Yen Chen.
In addition, Fabio Luisi—Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Chief Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra—has been invited to lead the TMAF Orchestra this year. Under his baton, the festival will present orchestral masterpieces by Brahms, Richard Strauss, and Tchaikovsky.
TMAF offers a wide-ranging and immersive curriculum, including private lessons, chamber music, masterclasses, mock orchestra auditions, orchestral rehearsals, and multiple chamber and orchestral concerts, creating an environment of total musical immersion. “At TMAF, the relationship between masters and rising stars goes beyond the traditional teacher-student dynamic,” says David Chan. “It evolves into a bond of mutual respect and friendship, where we see each other simply as musicians. We learn from one another, strive together, take on challenges side by side, and forge lasting connections.”
Applications for the 2025 Taipei Music Academy & Festival are open until March 15. In the words of TMAF Chief Operating Officer Shih-Kai Lin, it is a rare opportunity to host an internationally acclaimed music festival in Taiwan, which allows Taiwanese students to learn and perform with world-class musicians and their peers in their home country. Young musicians aged 15 to 30 are encouraged to apply. For more details and the audition repertoire, see the official TMAF website.
