Lin Zaiyong shows Colin Lawson and Kevin Porter from the Royal College of Music in London around the conservatory.

Shanghai Conservatory of Music President Lin Zaiyong met Colin Lawson and Kevin Porter, director and deputy director of the Royal College of Music, on April 1, 2016.

Other SHCM officials at the meeting included Deputy Party Secretary Liu Yan, Office Director Feng Lei, Director of International Exchanges Chen Xiaoyi, Graduate School Director Zhang Wei, Musical Department Director Zhao Guang, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Tang Zhe.

Lin visited the RCM in October 2015 and he welcomed the two London guests for their return visit. He showed them architectural models of the conservatory’s new opera house and new campus on Lingling Road, both still under construction.

He said the Shanghai government wants the conservatory to expand in size in Xujiahui area and turn it into the so-called “Music Valley” of China. The SHCM-RCM joint institute will be at the core of the valley.

Both sides discussed details of their joint-venture institute and expressed expectations for their partnership and cooperation in academic exchanges, summer school programs, and seminars for postgraduates.

They agreed to provide internship sites for each other’s students and cooperate in music research, production and performance, as well as advanced certificate programs. The SHCM will be the first Chinese conservatory to issue advanced certificates.

Lin told the RCM officials that the Shanghai Conservatory of Music is rehearsing a musical about the life of Tang Xianzu, the famous Chinese playwright who died in the same year as Shakespeare 400 years ago. They also talked about the possibility of bringing the musical to Britain.