衛武營國家藝術文化中心 National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

►[House Program] 2024 Jazz at Weiwuying - Rich Huang Jazz Quintet – Rich in the Jazz Age

Born in Kaohsiung and known as Taiwan's drum king, Rich HUANG will join the Weiwuying audience in a celebration of jazz through the ages. Accompanied by top musicians—saxophonist Shawna YANG, bassist Refa WANG, vocalist TSAI Wen-hui, and pianist Guras BATU—he forms the "Rich Huang Jazz Quintet." Together, they perform timeless jazz classics, each infused with HUANG's compelling drumming.

  Program  

No Problems

Caravan

How high the moon

What a wonderful world

Circle（composed by Shawna YANG）

Song for Rich（composed by Shawna YANG）

Wan Zhi Diao

The Heart Asks Pleasure First（composed by TSAI Wen-Hui）

Hometown at dusk

Olive Tree

Encore Pieces:

Afro Blue or Happy Dog

  Creative and Production Team  

Drums｜Rich HUANG

Saxophone｜Shawna YANG

Bass｜Refa WANG 

Piano｜Guras BATU

Vocal｜TSAI Wen-hui

  Artists Introduction  

Drums: Rich HUANG

Rich HUANG's contributions to music have been evident across various music venues for nearly sixty years (1967-present), including Taiwan's major jazz festivals, recording studios, and the National Concert Hall. In addition to his dedication to promoting Taiwanese music, he released his fifth solo album in 2023, which earned him the "Best Instrumental Composer" at the 34th Golden Melody Awards. In 2020, HUANG received the "Special Contribution Award" at the 31st Golden Melody Awards, a prestigious recognition of his lifelong achievements and a notable moment in Taiwan's music industry.

In 1967, as a teenager, HUANG began his love affair with musical instruments, learning to play the harmonica, acoustic guitar, bass, piano, and electronic keyboard. He officially started his music career as a jazz drummer that same year. In 1968, he became the drummer for the CCK American Club in Qingquangang, Taichung; by 1971, he was serving in the Airborne Forces Headquarters as the drummer for the military band. In 1973, he played for the TTV (Taiwan Television) big band, and in 1975, he began recording for movies, television, advertisements, and drum and percussion album recordings. By 1976, he had become a full-time drummer and percussionist in recording studios. Since 1974, HUANG has participated in recording as many as 100,000 singles, setting a domestic record for the highest volume of recordings by an individual. He has contributed to the creation of numerous famous singers' albums.

HUANG has won "Best Instrumental Composer" at the 34rd Golden Melody Awards in 2023, the "Special Contribution Award" at the 31st Golden Melody Awards in 2020, and the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 10th Shenzhen Percussion Culture Festival in 2019. He also received the "Outstanding Contribution Award" at the 7th Golden Indie Music Awards in 2016. Currently, he serves as the international spokesperson for Zildjian, a renowned musical instrument brand, and is an artist for REMO, a well-known percussion instrument brand.

Saxophone: Shawna YANG

Shawna YANG began her piano studies at the age of 6 and continued her musical journey through college. She considered majoring in music several times, but influenced by her father, an engineer, YANG ultimately chose to pursue engineering in college. It wasn't until her graduation year that she decided to fully embrace her passion for music. After a year of preparation, she successfully enrolled to pursue a Master of Music at Taipei National University of the Arts. During her studies there, she also secured an entrance scholarship to Berklee College of Music in the United States.

YANG is a prominent saxophonist active in Taiwan's jazz music scene. After completing her studies at Berklee College of Music in 2003, she returned to Taiwan and has since dedicated herself to promoting jazz music education and maintaining an active presence in live performances. Currently, she is the principal saxophonist of the Taipei Jazz Orchestra and serves as the music director and saxophonist of Metamorphosis Jazz Band. She also leads the NTU Riot Jazz Orchestra and was a YAMAHA saxophonist endorsement musician from 2006 to 2012. Additionally, YANG is actively involved in various music and arts exchanges. She performed as an improvised musician in Theatre De La Sardine's play Dinner for One in 2007, served as the music designer for the play Underground, and collaborated with DanceWorks tap dance company.

YANG's personal jazz album Simple Life won the "Best Instrumental Album" at the 27th Golden Melody Awards and was also nominated for seven awards, including the Golden Indie Music Awards. Currently, YANG serves as the international spokesperson for the renowned saxophone brand "Antigua" and teaches at National Dong Hwa University and Chung Yuan Christian University.

Bass: Refa WANG

Refa WANG boasts a solid classical music training background and is committed to jazz and cross-genre performances as a musician.
In 2013, WANG was invited to perform in the pioneering classical and hip-hop crossover concert "Swing Your Neck String" with the Taiwanese hip-hop group MJ116. The following year, she was recognized as the best double bass player at the NTCH Summer Jazz Camp, and in 2015, she served as a lecturer at the same camp. Since 2013, WANG has been involved with the show music production for British fashion brand APUJAN, even invited to perform at the fashion show in London. She earned a master's degree in jazz performance from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, UK, in 2018. In 2019, she secured third place at the newcomer competition of the Taichung Jazz Festival. The same year, she was invited to be the double bassist for jazz singer 9m88's Beyond Mediocrity album release tour. WANG actively participates in various music performances and album recordings and is a member of several bands, including Cavey, Happy Beigel Klezmer Orkester, Let's Play, and Liquid Voice.

Piano: Guras BATU

After graduating with a major in Western Music from Chinese Culture University, Guras BATU studied jazz under Uno KAORU and CHANG Kai-ya. He has performed with various jazz bands, including the Ying-ying Shih Jazz Band, Metamorphosis Jazz Band, and Lemon Whirl Jazz Band. Additionally, his collaborative performances have featured drummer Neishi DAISUKE, guitarist Shun KIKUTA, and singers David CHEN, Ilid Kaolo, and Singinglynn LEE. From 2015 to 2021, Guras BATU was involved in the cross-genre drama "Sao+ (騷)" led by calligrapher TONG Yang-tze and also took part in the exhibition "From Ink to Apparel - A Crossover between Calligraphy Art and Fashion Design." He has served as a piano instructor at the Taichung Jazz Music Camp and the 2022 MI workshop, and as the pianist for It's a Good Time for Jazz!,  an NTCH Summer Jazz concert. He regularly performs at Blue Note Taipei and is currently the pianist for the Ching & Tsung Jazz Duo, Vadu Guras & Iming Lin Duo, GK Jazz Quintet, and the Neishi Daisuke Trio. Since 2024, he has been on the faculty of the Jazz Music Department at Dong Hwa University. BATU actively performs at jazz restaurants, jazz bars, and music festivals, including the Taipei Jazz Festival and the Taichung Jazz Festival.

Vocal: TSAI Wen-Hui

TSAI Wen-hui has earned both a master's degree and a postgraduate degree from the Jazz Department at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in Belgium. As a professional singer and composer, she tours extensively across Europe and Asia. Her three bands in Belgium—Teh, Vestige, and Yuan Quintet—have attracted significant attention in the Belgian music scene. Notably, Vestige, a sextet featuring six lead instruments, showcases TSAI's talents as the lead lyricist, songwriter, arranger, and vocalist. This highly experimental band has created considerable buzz in Belgium and released an album in 2022.

In addition to her work with her bands, TSAI is frequently invited to collaborate on various projects as an independent singer. She participated in Italian composer Gabriele DI FRANCO's hybrid improvisational theatrical and jazz concert Lulela. She also contributed to the female-themed recordings and album production of the Belgian Elsiri Trio, among other projects.

TSAI has performed extensively across Europe, including in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, London, and Ireland. She is also a dedicated music educator, conducting workshops and teaching students in Italy, Belgium, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. TSAI teaches not only jazz singers but also musicians of various instruments, independent singers, pop vocalists, Acapella groups, and even tap dancers. Currently residing in Taiwan, she is a faculty member in the Jazz group of the Music Department at Dong Hwa University and serves as a vocalist and backing vocalist for many artists.

As a composer and arranger, TSAI has crafted arrangements for the Poem! Accapella Vocal Band and the Sizhukong Jazz Choir. She served as the music director for the 2019 DanceWorks Tap Dance Company, producing their annual performance titled I am who I am. Additionally, she composes and arranges for the Taoyuan Chinese Orchestra and the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan (NCO). She also served as the arranger for her 2022 concert Always True to You, which featured singer HSIEH Shu-wen and herself.

  Sponsor  

  Special thank  

Alcohol consumption prohibited for persons under 18.