Bilingual Chinese musicians in demand

A joint conference on selecting and nurturing musical talents to share traditional Chinese music globally was held in Beijing over the weekend.

Organized by the Central Conservatory of Music and the Center for Exchange and Experience of Chinese and Foreign Music Cultures, which is located at the Conservatory, the conference consisted of a series of academic and exchange events, such as concerts, lectures, panel discussions and visits to cultural and musical venues.

Art school professors and directors from almost 20 higher education institutions all over China, including Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Capital Normal University and Central China Normal University participated in the conference.

The aim of the conference was to build a comprehensive system for selecting and nurturing musical talents who master both foreign languages and traditional Chinese music.

The head of an exchange and experience center, Liu Yuening, said there was increasing demand for such talents across the globe.

In recent years, traditional Chinese music has gained increasing popularity among foreign learners at Confucius Institutes overseas, which have long been focusing on teaching Chinese language. Against such a backdrop, talents in both linguistic and musical abilities are particularly sought after.

To work towards the goal of nurturing more talent, a working committee was set up during the conference to select the best teachers and volunteers to send to work at Musical Confucius Institutes overseas.

Based on the Beijing office of the Musical Confucius Institutes, which is located at the Central Conservatory of Music, the exchange and experience center was established in September 2014.

The center has focused on mutual exchange of Chinese and foreign music since its establishment and has sent a total of 29 people, including Chinese directors, teachers and students to teach traditional Chinese music at Confucius Institutes of Denmark, the United States and the United Kingdom.