指揮／蔡其蓁
Conductor: Madeline Tsai

旅居維也納的台中半客家血統的蔡其蓁，目前為英國皇家歌劇院(（Royal Opera House Covent Garden）)女性菁英職業之培訓指揮。2019年，入選為美國德州達樂斯歌劇院（The Dallas Opera）駐團指揮(Conductor in Residence)。2017年，參與匈牙利蕭提國際指揮大賽(SICC)，榮獲觀眾獎，當時她是唯一的亞洲女性指揮參賽者。其他榮譽事蹟如：維也納國際Prof. Dichler 指揮第三名，以及在聖彼得堡愛樂室內樂團大師課程獲得最高榮譽，受邀指揮聖彼得堡愛樂室內樂團閉幕音樂會。

蔡其蓁在交響樂界的造詣日益求精，前後與歐洲多國交響樂團合作。包含：英國皇家歌劇樂團（Orchestra of the Royal Opera）、倫敦現代樂團（Chroma Ensemble）、達樂斯歌劇樂團（The Dallas Opera）俄羅斯聖彼得堡愛樂室內樂團（St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic,）、柏林愛樂室內交響樂團（Berlin Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra,）、保加利亞魯賽愛樂交響樂團 (Ruse Philharmonic Orchestra )、保加利亞帕札吉克交響樂團（Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra）、立陶宛國家交響樂團(Lithuania State Symphony Orchestra)、羅馬尼亞布加勒斯特國家廣播交響樂團(National Radio Orchestra Bucharest)、匈牙利莎伐利亞交響樂團(Savaria Symphony Orchestra)、匈牙利國家歌劇交響樂團（Hungarian State Opera Orchestra）、紐約阿斯托里亞管弦樂團（Astoria Symphony Orchestra）暨瑪莎葛萊姆舞蹈團（Martha Graham Dance Company）演出招牌作柯普蘭阿帕拉契之春(Appalachian Spring)、以及高雄市交響樂團等。今年2020年，蔡其蓁將首次與國立台灣交響樂團合作。

她受卡拉揚最愛的女高音Grace Bumbry之邀，擔任專屬歌劇伴奏與大師班指揮。合作的對象包含有：維也納國家歌劇院（Vienna State Opera）、人民歌劇院(Volksoper)、義大利斯卡拉大劇院（Teatro alla Scala）、紐約大都會歌劇院(Metropolitan Opera House) 等的歌手們。

因Covid疫情，藝術活動停擺期間，蔡其蓁全時間參與維也納廣播交響樂團藝術總監Marin Alsop的全程彩排。

Madeline Tsai is a highly versatile musician who has been trained as a conductor, pianist, organist, singer, and timpanist. She is currently enrolled in career training program for outstanding female conductor at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. The conductor in Residence at The Dallas Opera in 2019. Winner of the People's Choice Award at the 2017 Solti International Conducting Competition in Hungary. Ms. Tsai has conducted a broad range of repertoire with orchestras around the world. In the United States, she led the Astoria Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Appalachian Spring with the Martha Graham Dance Company. In her native Taiwan, she has conducted the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra in 2017. Later this year, she will conduct a contemporary concert -Hakka Series with National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. (All living composers’ work include World Premiere Violin Concerto by Gordon Chin and perform by violinist Cho-Liang Lin.) Her European appearances include London (Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Chroma Ensemble), Germany (Berlin Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra), Hungary (Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, Savaria Symphony Orchestra), Russia (St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic), Lithuania (Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra), Romania (Bucharest National Radio Orchestra, Rousse Philharmonic), and Bulgaria (Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra).

After earning a B.F.A. in percussion from the Taipei National University of the Arts, Ms. Tsai came to the United States, and received a Master's degree in church music and choral conducting from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where she studied organ with Ken Cowan. Further studies took her to Vienna to work with renowned organist Martin Haselböck. While there, Ms. Tsai served as a freelance coach and pianist for singers from the Vienna State Opera, Volksoper, Theatro alla Scala, Metropolitan Opera,  and as a pianist and conductor for master classes taught by opera star Grace Bumbry.  She was also a member of the Vocal Ensemble of St. Stephen's Cathedral, a prestigious group of 30 highly-trained musicians ; however, she made her opera debut at the harpsichord, in a production of Don Giovanni at the Theater Altes Hallenbad in Germany. This summer, she was a covering conductor for Wagner Der Fliegende Holländer in Weinviertler Festival in Czech. Other conducting Merit include the 3rd  Prize of Vienna international Prof. Dichler conducting competition.
 

During the Covid Pandemic, while most music events are on pause, Ms. Tsai is fortunately allowed to attend all rehearsals of Marin Alsop, who is the chief conductor at Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Her orchestra conducting teachers include Mark Gibson, Martin Sieghart and Johannes Wildner, as well as master classes with conductors Jorma Panula, Marin Alsop, Richard Hetherington, Jessica Cottis, Alexander Polishchuk, and Edward Sian.

In addition to her conducting performances, Ms. Tsai proved to bestrong in management. For example, in 2009 she hosted 4 fundraising concerts for 9 Taiwanese artists to finance their performance in Carnegie. Ms. Tsai is a founder music director of Scout Chorus Cub Chorus.
 

In her spare time, Ms. Tsai enjoys inventing new recipes, in many different cuisines. Since she can identify all the ingredients in a dish by smell, she also loves to re-create culinary favorites from around the world.