By Eryk Michael Smith / Staff
KAOHSIUNG / HAVANA — Taiwanese jazz musician and composer Vincent Hsu (徐崇育) has played his first set at Cuba’s Festival Internacional Jazz Plaza, marking the first time a Taiwanese musician has been invited to participate in the festival in its more than 40-year history, according to festival organizers.
The Festival Internacional Jazz Plaza, previously known internationally as the Havana Jazz Festival, is one of the most established jazz events in Latin America and is a central platform for international jazz exchange, regularly featuring globally recognized artists from the Americas, Europe, and beyond.
Hsu, a native of Kaohsiung City, will perform in Havana across multiple venues and formats during the festival, collaborating with musicians from Cuba, the United States, and Taiwan.
“So many legendary musicians have played this festival before,” Hsu told the Kaohsiung Times. “I am deeply honored to be here.”
Performance Schedule
Vincent Hsu’s confirmed appearances at the Festival Internacional Jazz Plaza are as follows (local times):
• Monday, January 26, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
César Jazz Club, Havana
• Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 9:00 p.m.
Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht, Sala Teatro Tito Junco
• Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán, Havana
Masterclass session
Collaborating Artists
During the festival, Hsu will perform alongside an international lineup that includes:
• Arturo O’Farrill (United States)
• Shih-Chun Lee (Taiwan)
• Yasek Manzano (Cuba)
• Emir Santa Cruz (Cuba)
• Ruy Adrián López-Nussa (Cuba)
Growing International Presence
Hsu has built a growing international reputation through cross-cultural jazz projects, composition, and performance, frequently collaborating with musicians across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. His invitation to the Festival Internacional Jazz Plaza places Taiwan on a stage traditionally dominated by North American, Caribbean, and Latin American jazz figures.
For Taiwan’s jazz community, the invitation is seen as a milestone, highlighting the growing visibility of Taiwanese musicians within major global jazz networks.
