Phyllis Gomda Hsi

Phyllis Gomda Hsi (Chinese: 席慕德; 3 March 1938 – 20 June 2023) was a Taiwanese vocalist, who was born in Beijing but spent her childhood in Hong Kong. Charhar, Mongolia was her native place.

Education

In 1958, Hsi majored in vocal music and minored in piano at the Department of Music in National Taiwan Normal University. Being a prize student of professors Chiang Hsin-mei and Chang Tsai-hsien, she also studied music theory under professor Hsiao Erh-hua. In 1962, Hsi was awarded a scholarship from German Government and went on to study at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. After her graduation in 1966, Hsi launched her performance career and became a soprano singer for the Theater Regensburg in Germany the following year.

Career

In 1969 and 1971, Hsi was dispatched twice by the Goethe-Institut München to tour the German Art Songs (Lieder) Vocal Recital in Southeast Asian countries. This experience has made her one of the first non-German artists who participated in cross-cultural exchange tours in Southeast Asia.

In 1971, Hsi returned to Taiwan and taught vocal music and German art songs at her alma mater, National Taiwan Normal University. She also taught at Soochow University and the Music Department of Chinese Culture University.

In 1975, Hsi engaged in advanced studies with Soprano Eleanor Steber in New York. In 1982, she recorded a solo album covering Western classical music and Chinese folk songs in the United States, which was catalogued at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

In 1985, she returned to her alma mater to lecture on vocal music, interpretation of German art songs, and singing voice. From 1999 to 2006, Hsi served as the Director of the Association of Vocal Artists of R.O.C for seven years. During her tenure, she devoted herself to promoting vocal music, including developing vocal music certification and holding competitions.

Later life, family and death

After retiring from her full-time position at the Music Department of National Taiwan Normal University in 2003, Phyllis Gomda Hsi continued to promote vocal music education. Hsi published various types of works, including music essays, performance critiques, songbook compilations, and lyric translations, which became important reference materials for local vocal music students.

Furthermore, she served as a judge for professional competitions both domestic and abroad, planned and produced music concerts, and published multiple articles in music magazines. These efforts played a significant role in promoting and advancing vocal music arts.

Hsi died from complications of a fall on 20 June 2023, at the age of 85. She had moved to a nursing home earlier that month.

Phyllis Gomda Hsi's sister is the writer and painter Xi Murong, and Hsi's niece is the pianist Solungga Liu.