Traditional Arts Golden Melody Nomination Again: Liu Yu-Yun Unveils New Era of Sound Creation in the AI Age

As AI sweeps across the global content industry, will musicians be replaced by machines? Two-time Golden Melody Award-winning composer and conductor Liu Yu-Yun insists that technology is not the enemy of art, but a tool to amplify creativity. In the future, musicians must do more than write melodies—they must integrate culture, aesthetics, narrative, and technology to become 'Sound Architects' who construct complete sensory worlds.

Golden accolade once again: Human-created music preserves musical warmth

Liu Yu-Yun’s original album 'Liu Yu-Yun Original Album – Geng Yun Taiwan' has been nominated for Best Traditional Music Album at the 37th Traditional Arts Golden Melody Awards. This album compiles over a decade of his observations and emotions toward Taiwan’s land, with all aspects—from composition and arrangement to orchestra performance—performed entirely by humans, without any generative AI involvement.

He states that while technology can help creators break limitations, human experience, emotion, and life accumulation cannot be replaced. The resonance created when performers listen, breathe, and respond to one another in real time is precisely what makes music most precious.

Composer and conductor Liu Yu-Yun has long straddled film scoring, traditional music, and digital audio engineering, advocating that musicians in the AI era should upgrade to become 'Sound Architects.' (Photo provided by Instant Enjoyment Digital Music Center)

A behind-the-scenes master whose work you’ve already heard

Many may not recognize Liu Yu-Yun’s name, but they’ve likely heard his work. From Keelung City’s anthem 'Where the Sun Rises,' to 20 consecutive years contributing to the main lantern show music design of the Taiwan Lantern Festival, to scores for 'Pili Puppetry,' Ju Tzong-Ching Percussion Group’s 'Enchanting Shadow,' the game 'Heroes of the Three Kingdoms,' and National Geographic’s documentary 'Butterfly Code,' his sonic footprint is widespread.

He excels at creating visuals, emotions, and dramatic tension through sound, earning him the title 'Nolan-style Sound Master' in the music industry. Capable of handling everything from concept and orchestration to production, recording, and overall sound design, he is affectionately nicknamed the 'Music Chief Chef' by collaborators.

Pioneering digital music: Bridging art and technology across domains

Liu Yu-Yun, who studied film scoring in France, holds conducting backgrounds in both Western orchestral and traditional Chinese music. Over two decades ago, he began investing in digital music and audio engineering, introducing computer-based music production into film scoring and cross-genre performances, serving as a vital bridge between artistic creation and engineering technology.

From music production software and sound design to integrating film scoring workflows, he continuously explores the creative possibilities brought by technology and was selected for the 2025 WSD World Stage Design Exhibition, showcasing Taiwan’s artistic and technological capabilities on the international stage.

AI enhances creative efficiency: Musicians evolve into Sound Architects

Liu Yu-Yun believes AI can rapidly validate concepts and improve production efficiency. However, as technical barriers lower, what truly sets creators apart will be their humanistic literacy and integrative ability. Musicians must not only complete notes but also understand the relationships between story, culture, emotion, and technology to build complete sonic worlds.

Technology opens global markets: Culture makes the world remember Taiwan

In Liu Yu-Yun’s view, Taiwan’s traditional opera, glove puppetry, local cultures, and folk music can be transformed through modern sound design into cultural languages for international films, games, and immersive experiences.

He emphasizes that while technology is a universal underlying language, it is culture that makes the world remember Taiwan. AI can raise the baseline of industrial output, but only humanistic thinking and the authentic resonance of live performance can determine the ceiling of artistic value.