Rooted in acoustic guitar, her compositions weave together intimacy, subtle spirituality, and dynamic expression—transforming moments of love, memory, and human connection into music that feels both personal and universal. Her work is often described as healing and life-affirming, not as a genre, but as a natural result of her expressive touch and storytelling approach.
A rare female fingerstyle composer-performer in Asia and on the global acoustic guitar scene, Hsu has built a distinctive international presence. In 2018, she released the EP Journey of Smiles under Wind Music, becoming the first female steel-string fingerstyle guitarist in the Chinese-speaking world to publish a fingerstyle album. Her single “Smile With Tears” surpassed one million streams on Spotify and was featured on Spotify’s official playlist Acoustic Concentration, reaching listeners in over 100 countries.
Hsu is a long-term endorser of Ayers Guitars and has performed widely across Asia, the United States, and on international stages. She has appeared at major industry events, including the NAMM Show (USA) and Music China (Shanghai).
Beyond live performance, her work extends into film and television scoring. In 2022, she composed and recorded the full guitar score for the Japanese film A Man (ある男), which was nominated for Best Music at the Japan Academy Film Prize. The score was also included in the film’s official soundtrack.
Robin Boucher, founder of Boucher Guitars, praised her as “one of the top five fingerstyle guitarists I have ever seen,” adding, “She plays guitar with love.”
This spirit lies at the heart of Chi Chuan Hsu’s music—sincere, powerful, and deeply human.
