劉振祥攝

作曲家／賴德和

1943年出生，1964年考進國立臺灣藝術專科學校（今國立臺灣藝術大學），在學期間即參加「向日葵樂會」發表作品。1973年受聘為臺灣省交響樂團研究部主任，並於臺中光復國小及雙十國中籌設全臺第一個音樂實驗班。1978年獲DAAD獎學金赴奧地利，在奧福學院（Orff Institute）研習音樂教育，並在莫札特音樂院（Mozarteum in Salzburg）研習作曲。回臺後，1981年任教於國立藝專（今國立臺灣藝術大學），次年轉任國立藝術學院（今國立臺北藝術大學），2008年8月退休。
其作品「鄉音系列」皆大量採用臺灣民謠並取材自本土素材，充分顯出對臺灣本土的高度關懷：《鄉音I—北管戲曲的聯想》、《鄉音II—南管音樂的聯想》、《鄉音III—為管弦樂團之音樂會序曲》、《鄉音IV》及《鄉音V—歌仔戲的聯想》。
2009年先後完成《安魂曲》及《吾鄉印象》兩首大型管弦樂作品。《吾鄉印象》是鄉音系列的延伸與集其大成，為包含四個樂章的交響曲，作曲家企圖用曾經迴盪傳唱在這片土地，而今業已式微或幾乎消逝的南管、北管及原住民音樂來歌頌斯土斯民。《安魂曲》於2010年5月底國立臺灣交響樂團舉辦的「聽見臺灣的聲音—賴德和樂集」中首演，此曲是為九二一地震十周年而寫的合唱及管弦樂作品，用以記錄我們遭逢的天災劇變，並撫慰、超渡亡者與傷者的心靈。
他堅信創作需根植於斯土斯民，也就是所謂的民族性，因此其作品兼容傳統文化思維和西方現代作曲技法。曾榮獲第7屆「吳三連文藝獎」（1984）、第12屆國家文化藝術基金會文藝獎（1987）與第14屆國家文化藝術基金會的國家文藝獎（2010）。

Composer: Deh-Ho Lai

Lai, Deh-Ho, born in Changhua, Taiwan on February 25th 1943, graduated from the National Taiwan University of Arts. In 1973, he spearheaded the elementary music experimental class as the director of research of the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra in Taichung.
He attended the Orff Institute in Salzburg and studied music education and composition at the Mozarteum Academy of Music on the DAAD scholarship in 1978. After returning to Taiwan in 1981, he taught at the National Taiwan University of Arts. The following year, he joined the faculty of the Taipei National University of the Arts. He collaborated with The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and produced two works ─ The Tale of the White Serpent (original title Chung Miao) and The Dream of Red Chamber, which won the Wu, San-Lien Literature and Arts Award in 1984 and the National Arts Award in 1987 respectively.
From 1995 to 2013, his Dialect series: Dialect I- Association of Pei-Kuan, Dialect II- Association of Nan-Kuan, Dialect III- Concert Overture, Dialect IV and Dialect V-Association of Taiwanese Opera are derived from Taiwanese traditional music Pei-Kuan, Nan-Kuan, Taiwanese folk songs, Taiwanese Opera etc. These works exemplify his awareness for Taiwanese culture and identity. 
Mr. Lai retired from the National Taipei University of the Arts in 2008. He completed Requiem and Symphony: Four Impressions of My Motherland in 2009. Symphony: Four Impressions of My Motherland is the extension of the Dialect series and the culmination of his musical style with a four-movement symphonic structure, Mr. Lai attempted to use Nan-Kuan, Pei-Kuan and Taiwanese aboriginal music to praise the land and people of the Taiwan. Requiem received its premiere in May 2010 by the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra in its "Hear the Voice of Taiwan - Lai, Deh-Ho’s Music" concert. The work commemorates the tenth anniversary of the “921 earthquake”, and records the aftermath of natural disasters that had struck Taiwan, in order to comfort the deceased and the injured.
Mr. Lai firmly believes that musical works should be rooted in the land and the people, which can also be understood as the national character. This belief explains his combining traditional Taiwanese culture and modern Western composition techniques in his compositions. He received the National Award of Arts by The National Culture and Arts Foundation in 2010. Lai, Deh-Ho is regarded as one of the most important composers of modern Taiwanese music.