Session 1: With Conductor Maestra Xiaying Zheng

Conductor Maestra Xiaoying Zheng (born 28 September 1929) is a Chinese conductor and was the first female conductor in China. Zheng was the chief conductor of the China National Opera House (CNOH) and she formed and conducted the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra. She was formerly the director of the Conducting Department of the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing.

Register Here: The Harmony Academy

The Cultural Diplomacy Initiative Presents: The Harmony Academy: A Series of Masterclasses about Chinese Culture" in cooperation with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America.

In Chinese culture, the word harmony is believed to be the most important value for a society. In Western culture, it derives from the Greek term “harmonia” which refers to how musical pitches related to one another. This summarizes the goal of fostering mutual understanding through this series. In each of these sessions, we will learn firsthand from revered Chinese artists about their culture and traditions.

As the Chinese philosopher Xun Kuang said, “Music is a fantastic peacekeeper in the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion”, and in the In the Analects, Confucius observed “cultivated persons seek harmony but not sameness.” Please join us as we explore these concepts with remarkable guest artists.