2017 Shanghai Summer School Chinese Folk Music Course by SHCM Drops Curtain
The Chinese Folk Music course of 2017 Shanghai Summer School was jointly held by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Shanghai Conservatory of Music (SHCM) International Exchange Division’s Overseas Students Office, Folk Music Department, and Vocal Music and Opera Department from June 12 to 30 at the SHCM. The summer school recruited nine students from Malaysia, Belarus, Columbia and Japan. The graduation ceremony and an exchange concert were held on June 29 at the Academic Hall of SHCM. Directors and teachers from SHCM International Exchange Office and Vocal Music and Opera Department were present at the concert.
Deputy Director of International Exchange Office Le Yizhen gave a speech at the closing ceremony. She expressed her warm welcome and blessed the students with a bright future. She also hoped that those students can become cultural ambassadors who build bridges of friendship in other countries with the power of music. Professor Shi Lin on behalf of all summer school teachers praised the students for their achievements in three-week music learning. He hoped that they would keep the love for Chinese folk music and have the opportunity to study in SHCM one day. A student from the Belarusian State Academy of Music shared her experience and thanked the Shanghai Education Commission and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music on behalf of all summer school students for providing this opportunity of music learning. She looked forward to furthering her study at the SHCM. Then, directors and teachers awarded graduation certificates to students to recognize their musical progress in the past three weeks.
A gala concert was held as an important part of the graduation ceremony to check student’s progresses. Students staged 12 performances of traditional Chinese musical instrument erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument), vocal music and special performances at the concert. Students from the Belarusian State Academy of Music won prolonged applause from the audience with their performances of two Chinese folk songs and their language proficiency. Two students from Colombia who had never learned Chinese traditional music before performed two classical pieces of instrumental music. The ensemble Horse Racing performed by students from the erhu class draw the concert to a successful close.
The SHCM has successfully held seven summer school courses since 2011. The program aims to demonstrate SHCM’s advantages in folk music education, promote cooperation and exchanges of international education, accelerate the steps of internationalized teaching, draw more overseas students and enhance their recognition and understanding of Chinese culture. It is also aimed at improving the internationalization level of education in Shanghai, enhancing the educational attractiveness, global influence and competitiveness, setting up an excellent cultural brand and offering good platform for Chinese culture to go global.
