Zhang Fu-Xing

Zhang Fu-Xing (, February 1, 1888 – March 5, 1954) was a violinist who was born in Miaoli and later settled in Taipei. He was the first Taiwanese musician to study in Japan, and helped train many musicians in Taiwan.

Life
Zhang Fu-Xing was born in Toufenzhuang, Zhunan County (now Toufen City, Miaoli County). After graduating from Toufen Public Elementary School, he enrolled in the Taiwan Governor-General’s National Language School and graduated in 1907. In 1908, he was recommended for admission to the Tokyo Music School in Ueno, and was the first Taiwanese to study music in Japan. There he was given the opportunity to learn to play the organ, not yet introduced to Taiwan. In order to put his studies into practice, Zhang also took violin lessons in his final year of study. Zhang’s advisor was Akatarō Shimazaki. His classmates included the composer Kiyoshi Nobutoki and the cellist Hagiwara Eiichi.

Career
After returning to Taiwan in 1910, Zhang began teaching at his alma mater and also taught part-time at Taipei Second High School (now Taipei Municipal Chenggong High School). He actively trained local musicians, and in 1920 he founded the Ling Long Hui Orchestra, which gave public concerts from time to time. In addition to teaching, Zhang was also an avid collector of Taiwan’s indigenous music. In 1922, he was invited by Government-General of Taiwan to conduct a survey of indigenous music, and in the spring of the same year he went to Sun Moon Lake to investigate indigenous folk songs. In October of the same year, Zhang submitted his manuscript Traditional Songs and Pestle Songs of the Thao at Sun Moon Lake, which was published on December 25. This was the first book on Taiwan’s indigenous music, and he was the first Taiwanese musician to collect and help organize Taiwan’s indigenous music.

After the Japanese colonial period ended in 1945, Zhang continued his work as a music educator. For example, he was a professor at the Department of Music, Taiwan Provincial Teachers College (now renamed National Taiwan Normal University), and an editor of music textbooks for elementary schools. After his retirement, Zhang continued to collect Buddhist music until his death in 1954.