Liu Yan, deputy Party secretary of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, met Leonardo De Lisi, vice president of the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory, and Paolo Ponziano Ciardi, professor of the Conducting Department of LCC on June 16.

Liu welcomed her guests and briefed them on SHCM’s achievements in recent years. She said located in Florence, a city of art and the birthplace of operas, LCC has developed mature teaching system and methods during its long history. SHCM, the first conservatory in China, hopes to maintain close contact with other world-class conservatories and to establish professors and students’ exchange programs with LCC.

She also hoped that LCC would send its professors and students to participate in SHCM’s exchange programs and ethnic music programs to learn about China’s ethnic music and instruments, and have commissioned and public performance at SHCM.

Lisi said LCC values its international cooperation and exchange opportunities. For instance, they participated in the Erasmus Programme and has established partnership with at least 35 international conservatories and universities. Italian government initiated Turandot Programme to support a certain number of Chinese arts students to study in Florence. Now their international students account for 45 percent of the conservatory’s total enrollment.

LCC will play Giacomo PIccini’s IL Trittico to celebrate the opera’s 100th anniversary, Lisi added, and he hoped SHCM’s students and professors could come to the performance and related symposiums. Other than operas, LCC also takes pride in its piano, violin, flute and conducting majors, and its rare manuscripts are available for Chinese students to study.

Luigi Cherubini Conservatory was a college of Florence National Academy of Fine arts of Italy, which became independent in 1860. LCC has bilateral agreements with universities and conservatories all across Europe, granting its students scholarships to participate in exchange programs.

Ge Yi, professor of the Vocal Music Department, Zhang Rui, professor of the Music Composition Department, and Chen Xiaoyi, director of International Exchange Office of SHCM, also attended the meeting.