Born in Homei, Changhua in 1928, Hsu studied the violin in Japan as a youth. Later, he studied in France for five years, where he became well versed in the various schools of modern Western music.
民國十八年生於彰化醫師世家的許常惠，早年赴日本修習小提琴，其後留學法國五年，浸淫於當時正盛的西方現代樂派。