Interview with Meng-Hsien Peng, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Müller Chamber Choir (Taiwan), Second Prize Winner at the Tormis 95 Singing Contest.

Paula Hakkaja: Hello, Miss Peng.

Meng-Hsien Peng: Nice to meet you.

Paula Hakkaja: Nice to meet you too and welcome to Estonia!

Meng-Hsien Peng: Thank you for the warm welcome.

Paula Hakkaja: Thank you for coming, and congratulations on winning second place in the Tormis 95 Singing Contest.
I find it quite extraordinary that Veljo Tormis’ music has reached as far as Taiwan. Could you tell us a bit about how you first discovered Tormis's music and when you heard it for the first time?

Meng-Hsien Peng: The first time I heard Tormis’ music was in 2014. It was his Songs of the Ancient Sea. You could hear seabirds, the wind, and this incredible sense of depth in the textures. I was conducting a male chamber choir at the time, and when I heard his music, I was stunned. It felt so deep and full of stories. Not just about gods or myths, but about people’s spirits, emotions, the forest, the sea, and the land itself.

When I conduct Tormis, I don’t just use my hands to keep time — I use them to connect with his heart, with his feelings. His music has this seriousness, but also humor, and so many contrasting characteristics.

Even though I come from Taiwan which is twenty hours away from here, I don’t feel the distance. When I arrived in Estonia and saw the land, the forests, I felt a kind of kinship. People might say, “Oh, you look different: yellow skin, black hair,” but to me, Estonians and Taiwanese are very similar.

In Taiwan, we also have to protect our land. We live next to China, and we fight to preserve our independence and our identity. So Tormis’ music truly speaks to me. It inspires me every time I perform it. His Litany to Thunder feels like a cry from the heart to the earth, to the cosmos. It’s something profound.

Paula Hakkaja: That’s a wonderful answer. You’ve actually answered most of my questions already! But I’d like to ask one more: how has your perception of Tormis’ music changed over time, especially as you came to understand the language and lyrics more deeply? Has that affected the way you experience or interpret the music?

Meng-Hsien Peng: Yes, in three ways.

First, the language: Estonian vowels and pronunciation are so unique, so full of energy. The sound of the words themselves already carries emotion.

Second, the meaning: it’s not just storytelling about the land; sometimes it’s poetry, literature, something deeper than “good or bad.”

And third, it’s Tormis himself. I’ve seen his poetry, his image, his compositions. Understanding his words and his world gives the music an even stronger impact.

So yes — the pronunciation, the meaning, and the story all shape how I feel about the music now.

Paula Hakkaja: And do you find that your interpretation keeps evolving — that you hear something new each time you perform his music? Do you plan to continue working with Tormis’ repertoire in the future?

Meng-Hsien Peng: I think his music reflects the performer’s own mind. As I change, the music changes with me. One day, when I’m older, I might hear it differently. Maybe with more calmness, maybe with more anger, maybe with more history behind it. I don’t know yet, but I know it will change as I do.

Paula Hakkaja: So the interpretation grows as you grow.

Meng-Hsien Peng: Exactly. You understand.

Paula Hakkaja: Wonderful. Thank you so much, Miss Peng! I hope you enjoy your stay in Estonia.

Meng-Hsien Peng: Thank you. I already do.

Photo: Eda Hubner

Conducted by Paula Hakkaja at Kõrveaia, the birthplace of composer Veljo Tormis, on the occasion of his 95th birth anniversary (August 7, 2025)