Photography by Brandon Ilaw
At 13 years old, Dr. Brian Hsu made a life-changing decision. He packed all his belongings, boarded a plane, and flew to the other side of the globe to study piano. “I know this sounds cheesy, but I just couldn't live without piano,” Hsu said. A Taiwan native, his piano teacher explained the opportunities for growth were more abundant in the United States. So away he went! “My parents wanted me to be challenged and see how far I could make it as a pianist,” Hsu recalled. “It was a life gamble!” One that would pay off in spades. He made his concerto debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra three years after arriving in the States. He later graduated with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, earned his Artist Diploma from Yale University, and a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan.
An established performer and educator, Hsu spent the past ten years at Loyola University in New Orleans as an Associate Professor. Eager to teach at a large state university, he set his sights on the open Associate Professor of Piano position at the University of Oregon’s School of Music and Dance (SOMD). He was also attracted to the opening due to its location in the Pacific Northwest, a region he has always loved and appreciated. During his interview, he discovered SOMD checked off yet another box on his list. “I felt a sense of community and collaboration between different faculty and departments,” he said. “That is something I would like to explore more in my career, both in performing and teaching.” Upon stepping foot onto campus in September, he immediately felt a sense of belonging. “Everyone I have met on campus has been very welcoming, and they certainly make me feel like I have been part of this family for a long time already,” he said.
This term, Hsu will teach one-on-one lessons and continue his work on two massive projects. The first, Key 2 Inclusion, was launched in 2020 as an intercollegiate initiative to promote and teach piano music by Black Americans and other minority composers. “We introduced these pieces to our students how they would be introduced to a piece by Mozart,” he said. Since founding the group, they have hosted several online guest lectures, online recitals and masterclasses, and finally an in-person weekend workshop in Chicago during the summer of 2022.
During this process, Hsu discovered a few challenges. "A lot of the pieces were not well published or well performed, due to historical biases favoring works by predominantly white and male composers,” he said. “It was very difficult to find the editions with the right notes and the correct fingerings.” To solve this problem, Key 2 Inclusion plans to publish an anthology with performance indications, biographies, and recordings.
Hsu’s second project is to record and perform Liszt’s Années de pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage). A collection of three volumes for solo piano, it will be a “personal challenge” for Hsu as it has been recorded in full by fewer than two dozen pianists. The recordings, by Blue Griffin, are set to be completed in Summer 2024. For the performances, which will take place in SOMD’s facilities, he plans to incorporate multimedia. For example, Book Two is inspired by Italian paintings, sculptures, and poetry. Hsu plans to project images of those art pieces onto a screen on stage while he performs. “I want to involve the audience a little bit differently, departing from the conventional piano concert format.” Each book will be performed separately, one per term.
Outside music, Hsu enjoys long distance running and plans to sign up for Eugene’s half marathon in the spring. “I am incredibly happy that this is a runner's haven,” he said. He also loves hiking with his husband, Matt, and their rescue Beagle, Danny.
Brian poses with husband, Matt Danny poses adorably for a photo