Hsu was born on the island of Gulangyu in southeast China. As the youngest son of a Christian pastor, he grew up singing hymns while his mother played on an upright piano. By the time he was twelve, he played the complete Chopin Etudes and had performed with the Shanghai Philharmonic.
Hsu was born on the island of Gulangyu in southeast China, where he was raised by a Christian pastor father who introduced him to hymns sung by his mother on an upright piano. By age twelve, Hsu had become proficient in playing the complete Chopin Etudes and had shared the stage with the Shanghai Philharmonic.