The Central Conservatory of Music marked the 70th anniversary of its department of traditional Chinese musical instruments with a concert and an academic symposium on Sept 20-21, bringing together generations of musicians to celebrate the department's contributions to traditional Chinese music and explore its future.
Founded in 1956, the department has played a leading role in training generations of traditional music performers, composers and educators, while establishing a comprehensive system of instruction across a range of Chinese instruments.
"Over the past 70 years, the department has made remarkable achievements in talent cultivation, academic development, musical creation, cultural heritage, international outreach and public service," said Yu Hongmei, president of the Central Conservatory of Music.
Yu, a veteran erhu player, who began studying traditional instruments at the conservatory's affiliated middle school at the age of 12, has spent more than four decades at the institution. She described herself as a beneficiary, witness, participant and contributor to the department's development.
The anniversary concert, conducted by Wang Fujian, Liu Sha and Sun Peng, featured the Chinese orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music, with faculty members, alumni and students performing together.
The concert highlighted the department's tradition of mentorship, with musicians from three generations sharing the stage.
"Generation after generation, we have carried forward Liu Tianhua's vision of bringing traditional Chinese music to an equal footing with the world's musical traditions," she said. "We have drawn from folk traditions and learned from the finest achievements of civilizations around the world to develop our own music."
An academic symposium on Sept 21 brought together more than 30 scholars, composers and performers from China and abroad to discuss traditional culture and contemporary music education.
Topics included the future of traditional music in the age of artificial intelligence, the relationship between Chinese traditional music and traditional culture, and approaches to preserving and adapting traditional musical forms in contemporary society.
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