Confucius Institute Past Events - 2021
Confucius Institute offered many events in 2021, see them below.
Musical Dialogue: East Meets West Virtual Concert and Forum on November 16
How do musicians become known, and their performances reach an audience beyond the stage or studio? Enter the music producer. Our guests for the 10th East Meets West virtual concert and forum on Tuesday, November 16 at 8 p.m, are producers Yunchuan Ye and Joshua Cheek. They met in Hong Kong and have been close friends for almost 20 years. In 2011, Cheek successfully supported Ye's Rhymoi Music in winning their first international award, the Independent Music Award for Best Traditional World Album.
Our guests will discuss the exchange and integration of music between the East and the West from their perspective in the music industry, along with the fusion of Eastern and Western music cultures in the recording industry. They will introduce and show some of their work, including videos from Ye's Musical Map of China project.
All are invited to join our Zoom audience with host, Daisy Wu, Director of the Confucius Institute at Alfred University (CIAU).
Yunchuan Ye is a producer, composer, arranger, graphic designer, and founder of one of China's most prestigious audiophile recording labels, Rhymoi Music. As a producer, his records and musical works have won more than 180 awards and nominations, such as "American Independent Music Award", "Global Music Award", "China Gold Record Award", "China Excellent Publishing Award" and "Chinese Music Media Award". As the initiator and music director of the National Art Foundation project, Musical Map of China, Ye won the Best Musician Special Award of the China Gold Record Awards. This series of works has been added to the permanent collection of the National Library. He is further distinguished as the first Full Voting Member of the American Grammy Awards (The National Academy for Recording Arts and Science – NARAS) representing the Chinese music industry.
Joshua Cheek (USA) For more than 25 years, Joshua Cheek has been engaged in every aspect of the music industry, from retail sales to Public Relations and Marketing Director for Naxos of America, including more than 70 published credits in all categories of music production, including several Award–winning and Grammy nominated recordings, including the multi–award winning album of world premieres works for choir and recorder, "The Nightingale", Michala Petri's critically acclaimed "Chinese Recorder Concertos", triple–Grammy nominated "Transfigured Bach" and Song Zuying's historic, Grammy nominated CD, "The Diva Goes to the Movies" Cheek has been a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS, The Grammys) since 2000, and has shepherded numerous artists, ensembles and labels through the Grammy process as well as other industry and cultural awards. Cheek is active as both a musical scholar and respected booklet annotator. He has provided texts for numerous recording labels, including Koch International, Naxos, hänssler CLASSIC, OUR Recordings and numerous texts for Rhymoi Music (瑞鸣音乐)(China), including texts for the Rhymoi's lavish commemorative Olympic production "The Songs of the 56 Chinese Nationalities" sung by Tan Jing.
This series is organized by CIAU and co–sponsored by the Almond 20th Century Club Library, the Cuba Circulating Library, the Hornell Public Library, the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville, and the Wimodaughsian Library of Canisteo, the Performing Arts Division of AU, and the Music Department of China University of Geosciences.
Please go to registration form or scan the QR code of the poster to register for this free event.
Melodies of the East concert
Organized by AU's Confucius Institute and Performing Arts Division, the AU Guzheng Ensemble 2021 Fall Concert Melodies of the East will be hold on Friday October 29th, 6pm in Harder Hall Lobby.
This concert is also in Conjunction with the Opening of Remote Connection exhibition. In this international exhibition, faculty from AU Division of Expanded Media will show with faculty from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China.
Guzheng is a traditional Chinese instrument with more than 2,700 years of history. In collaboration with the Confucius Institute at AU, AU’s Division of Performing Arts has since 2010 offered "Music of Guzheng" and "Guzheng Ensemble" courses taught by award–winning guzheng artist, Zhongbei (Daisy) Wu. In the past ten years, more than one hundred Alfred University students have learned to play guzheng. The AU Guzheng Ensemble has given many successful concerts on campus, in New York City, in the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and tour performance in four colleges at 3 cities in China. The ensemble won Gold Medals at the New York Chinese Musical Instrument International Competition in New York City in both 2016 and 2019.
The tenth monthly "East Meets West" virtual concert and forum was successfully hosted Nov. 16.
Ye is a producer, composer, and founder of one of China's most prestigious recording labels, Rhymoi Music. He has won more than 180 awards. He is the first Full Voting Member of Grammy representing the Chinese music industry. Cheek has been engaged for more than 25 years in every aspect of the music industry. He has served as marketing director for Naxos of America and has more than 70 published credits in all categories of music production. Ye and Creek discussed the exchange and integration of music between the East and the West from their perspective in the music industry, along with the fusion of Eastern and Western music cultures in the recording industry. They introduced and showed some of their works, including videos from Ye's Musical Map of China project.
The 9th East Meets West monthly virtual concert & forum
Mark your calendar for the 9th East Meets West–––Music monthly virtual concert & forum series Tuesday, October 26, at 8 p.m. EST.
Our guests will be Dr. Mingmei Yip, ethnomusicologist, qin (traditional Chinese instrument) artist, writer, calligrapher, and painter, and Dr. Megan Eagen-Jones, musicologist, award-winning professor, and pianist with a broad range of interests including composition, architecture, humanities, physics, and German. Their websites are at Dr. Mingmei Yip and Dr. Megan Eagen-Jones.
Dr. Mingmei Yip and Dr. Megan Eagen-Jones will talk about Literati Music in East and West. Literati qin music is the epitome of elegant, refined music in China. Whereas a similar equivalent in the West is music which connect with the divine and subliminal experiences. This event will be a lively and interesting dialogue between scholars representing two different musical cultures with distinct approaches to nature, subtlety of emotion, aggressive militaristic style, even wine culture. The guest musicians will perform qin and piano pieces to demonstrate these approaches.
This series is organized by the Confucius Institute at Alfred University (CIAU) and co-sponsored by the AU Performing Arts Division, the Music Department of China University of Geosciences, the Almond 20th Century Club Library, the Cuba Circulating Library, the Hornell Public Library, the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville, and the Wimodaughsian Library of Canisteo.
Please go to registration form or scan the QR code of the poster to register for this free Zoom event.
The 8th East Meets West Virtual Concert & Forum
Thursday, September 16, at 8pm
This month, Yazhi Guo, widely considered “the best suona player in the world”, and, David Fiuczynski, Professor at Berklee College of Music, “mad musical scientist” on guitar, will be Daisy Wu’s guests at the 8th East Meets West Virtual Concert & Forum. You are invited to join the fun on Zoom Thursday, September 16, at 8 p.m.
Yazhi Guo is a master of the suona, a traditional Chinese double-reed woodwind instrument with a copper bell, played something like a trumpet. Guo graduated with distinction from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 1990 and taught suona at his alma mater for 9 years. In the 1990’s, he recorded original songs for over 100 films and popular TV series. He won many international awards, including the Grand Prize at New York’s International Pro Music's Award in 1998. He was invited to give a solo performance with suona and saxophone for heads of state during U.S. President Clinton’s visit to Beijing.
In 1999, Guo was appointed as the Principal Suona by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Since then, he has performed with many orchestras around the world. His brilliant and expressive performances and unique style have created many opportunities for the suona in the world of modern music. He received the Hong Kong Award for Best Artist in 2012.
In 2012 at age 46, Guo said farewell to his highly competitive position in Hong Kong and relocated to Boston to explore jazz at Berklee College of Music. After graduating from Berklee with an Artist Diploma in 2015, he toured China with the Berklee Jazz Band, performing in many cities and colleges. The fusion-style jazz performance - suona with jazz band - is really an eye-opening experience and was well-received by Chinese and American audiences. In 2016, Guo received Thank You letters from the Mayor of Boston and the Governor of Massachusetts for excellence in cross-cultural contributions.
Professor David "FuZe" Fiuczynski's music is often described as unclassifiable, challenging, and invigorating. Fiuczynski leads the underground cult band Screaming Headless Torsos and has toured and/or recorded with Jack DeJohnette (Miles, Coltrane, Sun Ra, etc.), Stewart Copeland (the Police), Meshell Ndegeocello, Rudresh Mahanthappa, John Medeski, Hasidic New Wave, Bernie Worrell (P-Funk), Hiromi and many more.
David has performed at festivals all over the world. Born in the U.S., David grew up in Germany, where he was always interested in mixing and “fuzing” different musical elements. His recent music melds traditional melodic elements from the Middle East, Asia, India, and Eastern Europe with rock, funk, electronica, and other styles. This concept started on a gig in Morocco in 1992. The Moroccan players noted that Hendrix had visited their country, and this gave FuZe an idea - hard grooves with eastern-inflected melodies putting the listener into a very colorful trance – could this be the music that Jimi would play today? Fiuczynski's band, “KiF”, celebrates a living Hendrix who’s kickin it in Casablanca and rocks the Casbah every Saturday night!
David studied at New England Conservatory's avant-garde and experimental 3rd Stream department. He is also a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow and 2009 & 2017 Mass Cultural Council Fellow in composition. He directs the Planet MicroJam Institute for advanced microtonal studies at Berklee College of Music. His latest recordings are “Gerschlauer/Fiuczynski - MikroJazz”, featuring Jack DeJohnette on drums, with microtonal music inspired by Expressionist paintings, and as featured member on Giorgi Mikadze’s Georgian MicroJamz, based on the microtonal tunings of traditional folk choirs from the Republic of Georgia.
This series is organized by the Confucius Institute at Alfred University (CIAU) and co-sponsored by the AU Performing Arts Division, the Music Department of China University of Geosciences, the Almond 20th Century Club Library, the Cuba Circulating Library, the Hornell Public Library, the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville, and the Wimodaughsian Library of Canisteo.
Please go to registration form or scan the QR code of the poster to register for this free event.
CIAU held the 5th International Conference on Chinese Immersion Programs successfully
The 5th International Conference on Chinese Immersion Programs was successfully hosted virtually by CIAU on Nov 5–6, providing a platform for research scholars, leading administrators, and classroom practitioners from all over the world to share knowledge and expertise. Nearly 220 participants from more than 20 countries discussed recent trends, best practices, and practical challenges on all aspects of dual/bilingual language education.
Melodies of the East Concert
On Oct. 30th, Daisy led AU Guzheng Ensemble to give a Concert Melodies of the East for the opening. In Students from AU Guzheng Ensemble class, Ty Heyden, Ajamo Charles, Eva Mo, Mengya Li, and played in the concert.
CIAU collaborated with AU Student Senate with Halloween event
Prof. Katie Wang and Prof. Huiyang Li showed and taught participants how to write "万圣节" (Halloween) in Chinese calligraphy with various handwritings on October 30th.
The ninth monthly "East Meets West" virtual concert and forum
The ninth monthly "East Meets West" virtual concert and forum was successfully hosted on October 26th. The guest musicians were Dr. Mingmei Yip, ethnomusicologist, qin (traditional Chinese instrument) artist, writer, calligrapher, and painter, and Dr. Megan Eagen–Jones, musicologist, award–winning professor, and pianist with a broad range of interests including composition, architecture, humanities, physics, and German. Dr. Mingmei Yip and Dr. Megan Eagen–Jones talked about Literati Music in East and West. And they performed qin and piano pieces to demonstrate these approaches.
Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration
Annual Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration on Monday, Sept. 20, from 6-8 p.m. in front of the Confucius House at 10 Park St., Alfred.
AU students, faculty staff, and community members came to join this free outdoor event to explore the Chinese calligraphy, Tai Chi, the Chinese instrument Guzheng and enjoy the mooncakes!
Confucius Institute to host eighth East Meets West Concert and Forum
Alfred University's Confucius Institute hosted the eighth monthly "East Meets West" virtual concert and forum at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. Yazhi Guo, widely considered "the best suona player in the world", and, David Fiuczynski, professor at Berklee College of Music, known as a "mad musical scientist" on guitar, were guests of Confucius Institute Director Daisy Wu. The event was held virtually via Zoom.
Guo is a master of the suona, a traditional Chinese double–reed woodwind instrument with a copper bell, played something like a trumpet. He won many international awards, including the Grand Prize at New York's International Pro Music Award in 1998. He was invited to give a solo performance with suona and saxophone for heads of state during U.S. President Clinton's visit to Beijing.
In 2012, he received the Hong Kong Award for Best Artist in 2012. After graduating from Berklee with an artist diploma in 2015, he toured China with the Berklee Jazz Band, performing in many cities and colleges. The fusion–style jazz performance–suona with jazz band–is really an eye–opening experience and was well–received by Chinese and American audiences. In 2016, Guo received thank you letters from the Mayor of Boston and the Governor of Massachusetts for excellence in cross–cultural contributions.
David "FuZe" Fiuczynski's music is often described as unclassifiable, challenging, and invigorating. Fiuczynski leads the underground cult band Screaming Headless Torsos and has toured and/or recorded with Jack DeJohnette (Miles, Coltrane, Sun Ra, etc.), Stewart Copeland (the Police), Meshell Ndegeocello, Rudresh Mahanthappa, John Medeski, Hasidic New Wave, Bernie Worrell (P–Funk), Hiromi and many more. Fiuczynski has performed at festivals all over the world.
He is also a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow and 2009 & 2017 Mass Cultural Council Fellow in composition. He directs the Planet MicroJam Institute for advanced microtonal studies at Berklee College of Music. His latest recordings are "Gerschlauer/Fiuczynski – MikroJazz", featuring Jack DeJohnette on drums, with microtonal music inspired by Expressionist paintings, and as featured member on Giorgi Mikadze's Georgian MicroJamz, based on the microtonal tunings of traditional folk choirs from the Republic of Georgia.
The Block Party on AU campus
CIAU attended campus Block Party on September 11 organized by the AU Student Senate. We displayed Chinese calligraphy, Chinese Character cards, Chinese knots, and shuttle cocks for the AU students to experience. They were interested in exploring the different culture, and had fun at the same time. The Confucius Institute is always seeking to enrich the cultural diversity for both the campus and community.
East Meets West: Dialogue Between Chinese and Western Music
Alfred University's Confucius Institute hosted the seventh monthly "East Meets West" virtual concert and forum at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, as celebrated conductors Steven Fei Fang and David Wroe chatted with host Daisy Wu, director of Alfred University's Confucius Institute.
Steven Fei Fang is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Asian Cultural Symphony of the U.S.A. and Founder of the New York Eastern Chamber Orchestra. Since the 1970's, he has served as a cultural ambassador, devoted music educator, and choral and orchestral conductor. He is the first Chinese conductor to perform in the U.S. Capitol, Bryant Park in Manhattan, and the Oculus of the new World Trade Center Transportation Hub.
David Wroe is Music Director of the New Jersey Festival Orchestra and Principal Conductor at Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice in New York. Orchestras conducted include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, NYC Opera, Saint Louis Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and L'Orchestre National de Lille, to name but a few.
East Meets West concert series to feature violist Ling Yu, violinist Xun Sun
Alfred University's Confucius Institute on Wednesday, July 28, hosted the sixth "East Meets West" monthly virtual concert and forum at 8 pm, featuring violist Ling Yu; her husband, conductor and violinist Xun Sun; and host Daisy Wu, Director of the Institute at Alfred University.
Ling Yu is adjunct viola professor in the Music Department of Southern Utah University and one of the founders of SUU's Halversen Faculty String Quartet. She has performed as a guest soloist with the Orchestra of Southern Utah, one of the state's finest community orchestras.
Dr. Xun Sun began formal violin training at Wuhan Conservatory of Music when he was 11 years old through the Chinese government's scholarship program for exceptional music students. He currently serves as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Activities at SUU. He has won several awards for excellence in teaching and has served as Music Director and Conductor of the Orchestra of Southern Utah since 2003. Additionally, he has served as guest conductor for many other orchestras in China and around the world.
The East Meets West series is organized by CIAU and co–sponsored by the Performing Arts Division of Alfred University, the Music Department of China University of Geosciences, the Almond 20th Century Club Library, the Cuba Circulating Library, the Hornell Public Library, the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville, and the Wimodaughsian Library of Canisteo.
The fifth "East Meets West" Virtual Concert and Forum
Pulitzer Prize winners to present in AU virtual concert
Dr. Zhou Long and Dr. Chen Yi
Alfred University's Confucius Institute (June 25) hosted a conversation with the world–renowned composer couple Dr. Chen Yi and Dr. Zhou Long. The event is part of the Institute–s East Meets West series and be held on the Zoom platform.
Dr. Zhou Long won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his opera, Madame White Snake. He is the first Asian–American to receive this award in 68 years of history.
Dr. Chen Yi is the first Chinese woman to receive a master's degree in music composition from the Central Conservatory of Music, in Beijing, China. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005 and the American Academy of Arts & Letters in 2019.
Dr. Chen Yi is the first Chinese woman to receive a master's degree in music composition from the Central Conservatory of Music, in Beijing, China. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005 and the American Academy of Arts & Letters in 2019.
"East Meets West" Virtual Concert and Forum The fourth, featuring Min Xiao–Fen, and Rez Abbasi.
What grows when deep Eastern roots encounter modern American soil?
What happens when the pipa and the guitar collide in jazz?
Find out the answers to these and other questions of your own at the Alfred University Confucius Institute's fourth monthly "East Meets West" Virtual Concert and Forum featuring Min Xiao–Fen, singer, composer, and "pipa player like no other", and Rez Abbasi, guitarist and 2021 Guggenheim Fellow.
May 15 at 8pm EST.
Celebrate the World Tai Chi Day
The Confucius Institute at Alfred University (CIAU) and our local group, the Tai Chi Society of Western NY will be organizing an outdoor Tai Chi practice to celebrate the World Tai Chi Day on Saturday, April 24th at 10 am along the river at the Riverwalk Plaza, Wellsville, NY.
This is a group practice event for about an hour. It is not necessary to know Tai Chi, just join us and follow along in slow, flowing movements, or just watch, entering into the spirit. Free t–shirts while supply lasts. Face masks are required and CDC Covid–19 guidelines will be followed.
The last Saturday of April is World Tai Chi Day, setting up to promote awareness of the benefits of Tai Chi. At 10 am local time worldwide, people around the world have free, public presentations. The mission of the World Tai Chi (WTC) Day organization is "Educating the planet on how to boost the world's immune system, with scientifically proven natural health practices". The practice of these healthy movements unfold around the planet starting with the earliest in New Zealand, and ending in Hawaii. Many have officially proclaimed or recognized WTC Day, including our New York Senate.
Since 2010, CIAU has provided free Tai Chi classes to AU faculty, staff, students, and community members. More than 100 people have participated in Tai Chi practicing and have gained many health benefits from it.
East Meets West: Dialogue Between Chinese and Western Music The Third Virtual Concert & Forum, April 24, 2021
"Delightful!" "Inspiring!" "Engaging for musicians and non-musicians alike!"
If the feedback from the first two monthly East Meets West Virtual Concert & Forum events hosted by the Confucius Institute at Alfred University (CIAU) is any indication, the audience at the third concert, Saturday, April 24 at 8 p.m., is in for a treat. Our guests will be internationally–acclaimed master performer of the Chinese zheng, Mei Han, and multi–instrumentalist, composer, and improviser, Randy Raine–Reusch. COVID concerns may hamper the usual Hot Dog Day festivities, but everyone can still join in on Zoom for some unusual music and lively discussion hosted by Daisy Wu, faculty member of AU Performing Arts Division and CIAU Director.
Dr. Mei Han grew up in a military family during tumultuous times in China. She studied under some of the top zheng instructors in the country and was chosen to be a featured soloist with the Zhan You Ensemble in Beijing, the leading ensemble of its kind, at the age of 19. Later she became an ethnomusicologist, earning a PhD in British Colombia, exploring music from around the world, and developing "radical new repertoires" for her instrument. Today she is Director of the Center for Chinese Music and Culture at Middle Tennessee State University and a member of Red Chamber, a Chinese plucked–string band, and of the Mei Han Art Ensemble.
Mr. Randy Raine–Reusch survived an abusive childhood in Canada to become "a globe-trotting visionary" and "the Noah of musical instruments." He has collected over a thousand musical instruments of every type from around the world, many rare and endangered, and he can play them all. Considered an innovator who extends the boundaries of music, he specializes in new and experimental music and serves as a mentor for emerging artists. He is a founder of the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, Malaysia, and has served worldwide as a college lecturer and consultant for numerous museums and support organizations.
More information about the artists may be found at New Music for Zheng and New Direction for World Music.
This series is organized by CIAU and co–sponsored by the Performing Arts Division of Alfred University, and the Music Department of China University of Geosciences (CUG) in Wuhan, the Almond 20th Century Club Library, the Cuba Circulating Library, the Hornell Public Library, the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville, and the Wimodaughsian Library of Canisteo, If you have questions or your organization would like to assist in promoting this series, please contact Daisy Wu or CIAU Assistant Director Susan Steere 607-382-4140 for further details.
Second Virtual Concert CIAU offers "East Meets West" zoom concert Wed., March 17
The Confucius Institute at Alfred University (CIAU) kicked off its monthly Zoom concert/forum series featuring Chinese and Western musicians continues.
For the second concert, Wednesday, March 17 at 8 p.m., the guest musicians are world–renowned flutists Chen Tao and Patricia Spencer, both professors at Bard College in Annandale–on–Hudson. Chen Tao has been called "poet in music" and "king of the flute" who "performed with his soul." He is also a composer, chairman of the NY Chinese Music Instruments International Competition, and artistic director and conductor of Melody of Dragon, Inc. and several other ensembles.
Patricia Spencer, acclaimed soloist and member of the DaCapo Chamber Players, has performed numerous "sensational" premiers of pieces written for her by many composers. She teaches at Hofstra University.
East Meets West: Dialogue Between Chinese and Western Music
To better serve Alfred University and the surrounding communities with a variety of cultural exchange programs, CIAU is starting this new monthly Zoom concert/forum series featuring Chinese and Western musicians together. Each program will feature an hour of music performance and discussion between the guest musicians, hosted by Daisy Wu (Chinese guzheng artist and CIAU Director) and then half an hour for audience questions and comments.
For the first concert, Thursday, February 18 at 7 p.m., the guest musicians is an internationally–famous musical couple, Gao Hong and her husband, Paul Dice. Gao has delighted audiences with her pear–shaped pipa, or "Chinese lute", since she was 12 years old. She is the Gold Medal Winner of the 2020 Global Music Awards, Grammy Voting Member and Director of the Chinese Music Ensemble of Carleton College in Northfield, MN. Paul is an award–winning composer of music inspired by nature for instruments from many nations and President of International Friendship Through the Performing Arts.
This event is organized by CIAU and co–sponsored by the Almond 20th Century Club Library, the Cuba Circulating Library, the Hornell Public Library, the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville, and the Wimodaughsian Library of Canisteo.
Happy Spring Festival! Community Table Chinese Cuisine Pop-up take out
This Friday, February 12th, is the Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival. It is the most important traditional festival in many Asian countries. The Confucius Institute at AU and AU Fresh will be collaborating to celebrate it by Community Table Chinese Cuisine Pop–up take out.
The Confucius Institute is underwriting the meals, so you can get 1 meal per person at $5.00 which is worth $15.00. Please order your meal on the GET app and pick up your meal from 4:30pm–7pm at Community Table (inside Powell Hall, next to AU bookstore).
Menu
- Sweet and Sour Pork Belly
- Sauteed Beef strips tossed in Spicy Honey/Black Pepper sauce
- Tempura Fried Shrimp tossed in Garlic Aioli with steamed Broccoli
- Vegetable Stir Fry – Sugar snap Peas, Baby Bok Choy, Shredded Carrot, Mushrooms, and Fresh Ginger tossed in sweet and spicy Hoisin Sauce
- Baked Tofu
- Steamed White Rice
- Lo Mein Noodles
- Dessert will be a Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake.
- Each meal comes with a Fountain Beverage as well.
