Rome: Taiwanese composer Chiang Yi-chen has made history by becoming the first Asian and the first woman to win an award at Italy’s Apulia Soundtrack Awards, an event that took place from July 4-6.

According to Focus Taiwan, Chiang was honored with the Emerging Composer Award and expressed her excitement at the ceremony, highlighting the power of music to transcend language and cultural barriers. She also shared her aspiration for her work to elevate Taiwan’s presence on the global stage.

The Apulia Soundtrack Awards, established in 2021 to celebrate excellence in film music, were presented this year by renowned figures such as Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley and Italian composer Carlo Crivelli. Cyril Morin, the head judge and a respected film composer, commended Chiang’s ability to blend Asian and Hollywood musical styles, remarking, “The moment I heard all the finalists’ work, I knew she was the winner.”

During the awards ceremony, Chiang captivated the audience with a performance of the end-credit score from “Stories of the Return,” a film depicting a Taiwanese-American woman’s poignant journey back to her roots.