Dr. Samuel Hsu Memorial Concert

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, members of the Philadelphia Biblical University community gathered to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Samuel Hsu, PBU’s Distinguished Professor in the School of Music and Performing Arts who died in December 2011 from injuries sustained when he was hit by a car in Center City Philadelphia.
Two concerts were held, one at 3:00 pm and one at 7:00 pm. Performers for the concerts were former students of Dr. Hsu’s and his colleagues and collaborators. Each performer chose a piece close to their own heart and that reflected, in some way, their relationship with Dr. Hsu. Many of Dr. Hsu’s favorite composers were represented, from Bach to Chopin. Two pieces commissioned for the concert were composed by PBU alumni and current faculty members. Of particular note was a performance of Dr. Hsu’s own arrangement of “Beneath the Cross of Jesus,” which he wrote as an undergraduate student at PBU and performed in his own senior recital.
Interspersed with the performances were video interviews with individuals who were particularly close to Dr. Hsu at various points throughout his relationship with PBU remember who he was and how he impacted them, the institution, and the lives of everyone he encountered for Christ. In addition, short clips from an interview conducted with Dr. Hsu himself a few weeks before his death were shown.
The events were introduced by Dr. Todd J. Williams, PBU’s President, who shared the vision that these concerts be a celebration of the life and work of Dr. Hsu and a challenge for each one there to follow Christ as he exemplified. At the end of each concert, one of Dr. Hsu’s brothers shared, Dr. Andrew Hui, Assistant Director of Business Services, after the 3:00 pm concert and Dr. Timothy Hui, Vice President and Dean of Educational Resources, after the 7:00 pm concert.
Dr. Timothy Hui shared that the family and those at PBU wanted the day to be a celebration of Sam’s life and an opportunity to turn our gaze forward as we walk into the future of this institution. God has done great things at PBU for nearly one hundred years, and we anticipate His faithfulness for the next century and beyond, should He tarry.
At the request of the family, a Memorial Fund for Dr. Samuel Hsu was established at PBU to benefit the Community School of Music and Piano Programs, as well as the development of Summer Music Programs.  With a gift of $100 or more to the Samuel Hsu Memorial Fund, donors receive a book of Dr. Hsu’s writings, a CD of performance recordings from throughout his career, and a DVD which includes the interview with Dr. Hsu from November 2011 and the interviews that were used in the concert. To donate you may use our online form and note that your gift is to the Samuel Hsu Memorial Fund.
We plan to post a recording of the concert online in the near future. Please check back here for updates.