The Great Lakes Confucius Institute Music Festival

By Jianyun Meng, Director of the Confucius Institute at Valparaiso University
Wednesday, September 3, 2008

As part of our effort to promote Chinese culture in the Midwest, the Confucius Institute at Valparaiso University is sponsoring the first Great Lakes Confucius Institute Music Festival from September 12-21, 2008.

The festival will include a total of 9 performances in Valparaiso, Indianapolis, West Lafayette, Chesterton, and Culver in Indiana; as well as a performance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, all of which will feature the Silk & Bamboo Performing Troupe from the Jiangsu Province in China.

The Deputy Consul General Maoming Chu, Consul Ji Yuan, and Consul Jiajie Jiang will be attending the main performance at the VUCA (Valparaiso University Center for Arts) at 7:00 pm on September 16, together with local government, business, education, and community leaders.

At 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 20, Valparaiso University Symphony and five high school orchestras with a total of more than 200 student musicians will join the visiting Chinese musicians to give a gala concert at VU’s ARC (Athletic and recreational Center). The Chinese and American musicians will play Chinese music, such as Confucian Ritual Music (祭孔音乐), Kangding Love Song(康定情歌), Good News from Beijing (北京喜讯到边寨), etc. As this will be the biggest joint concert we have ever had, we are working closely with VU’s Music Department to ensure that every participant has a positive experience.

The enormous success of CIVU sponsored Windiana Concert Band China Tours have greatly inspired CIVU and its American musician friends to do likewise. The launch of the first Great Lakes Confucius Institute Music Festival represents another culmination of VU’s long time effort and commitment to promote musical exchange between China and America. We firmly believe that music is one of the best ways for people not just to learn about each other’s culture, but also to appreciate and enjoy them. Our experience has proved what Confucius said more than two thousand years ago: Music can help bring harmony to the world (乐以和同).

The first Great Lakes Confucius Music Festival is also a product of close cooperation of Chinese Consulate in Chicago and several other CIs in the region. Second Secretary Counsellorial Consul Xiaoyang Wang, Education Consul Ji Yuan, Director Zao Xu of CI at IUPUI, Director Wei Hong of CI at Purdue University, Director Joan Brzezinski of CI at University of Minnesota have all given us valuable suggestions and help to make the festival a reality.

The Confucius Institute, the Jiangsu Performing Group Corporation has provided the funding for the US performance tour of the visiting of Silk & Bamboo Troupe. The Culture and Arts Committee of Valparaiso University has provided funding for the group’s performances at VU. We would like to extend our deep appreciation and gratitude for their generous contributions.

For more information about The Great Lakes Confucius Institute Music Festival, click here.