2017-07-04

On July 4^th, 2017, Chairman ZHANG Yi was invited to head the delegation to visit Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing. Mr. ZHANG Yi met with Mr. YU Feng, President of CCOM, and had the full exchange of views and in-depth discussion as for the issues concerning the Music Education Alliance Across the Silk Road, and the Overseas Music Center of CCOM. Both parties have reached the consensus of cooperation, and are determined to forge the full-range synergy in order to substantiate the conception of the Music Education Alliance Across the Silk Road, of which Chinese President XI Jinping has outlined the future direction. Both parties are bent on the mission of turning the music to be the bridge that facilitates the people-to-people bond, and orchestrating the symphony to the tune of the Belt and Road cooperation. Mr. HU Zhenming, Deputy Secretary General of ECMDC, Ms. Ingrid JIANG, Chairperson of the Board of EU-China Municipal Development Project Management Co., Ltd, Mr. ZHANG Boyu, Head of the Music Education Alliance Across the Silk Road of CCOM, Mr. ZHAO Hai, Director of Presidential Office of CCOM and Mr. LIU Hongzhu, Director of International Affairs Office of CCOM attended the meeting as well.

Mr. ZHANG Yi and Mr. YU Feng (Right Three), Ms. Ingrid JIANG (Left Three), Mr. HU Zhenming (Left Two), Mr. ZHANG Boyu (Right Two), Mr. ZHAO Hai (Left One), Mr. LIU Hongzhu (Right One)

Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) was founded in 1949 on the basis of the merging of the National College of Music, which was established in 1940 and several music educational institutions. CCOM is a specialized Chinese institution of higher education for nurturing high-level music professionals. As China’s only art academy listed among the national leading universities supported by the state, CCOM now is consisted of the Departments of Composition, Musicology, Conducting, Piano, Orchestral Instruments, Traditional Instruments, Voice and Opera as well as the Institute of Music Education. CCOM currently enrolls 1543 undergraduate students and 663 graduate students. CCOM functions as the national center of music education, composition, performance, research and social promotion of music. CCOM is a world-renowned institute of music that represents the highest caliber of music education in China with the comprehensive range of specialized programs.

In line with the Belt and Road Education Action promulgated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of China, CCOM successfully held the Inaugural Conference of Music Education Alliance Across the Silk Road under the direct guidance of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of MOE from May 5^th to 7^th, 2017 in order to welcome the Belt and Road Forum. At the conference, the Music Education Alliance Across the Silk Road (the Alliance) was officially announced to be established. 20 presidents at home and abroad including 11 foreign music academies along the Silk Road and 9 domestic music schools jointly publicized the Declaration of the Alliance. The Alliance has received the active responses from music academies of foreign countries along the Belt and Road including Indonesia, Romania, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Slovenia, Uzbekistan, India, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Bengal, Estonia, Viet Nam, Tajikistan, Thailand and Iran. At the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum on May 14^th, 2017, Chinese President XI Jinping delivered the keynote speech, in which he mentioned that China would put in place the ensuing mechanisms to boost Belt and Road cooperation and develop the new people-to-people exchange platforms including the music education alliance. CCOM is in the process of substantiating the conception of President XI Jinping, and is undertaking the measures to establish the diversified, interactive and multiple-dimensioned cooperation mechanism in the aspects of music education, music composition, music exchange and performance, the dynamic inheritance and renovation of music and cultural heritage.

At the Meeting

Mr. YU Feng firstly extended his warm welcome to the visiting of ECMDC Delegation. He made the detailed introduction to the background of establishing the Alliance and the related significant meaning. Music is above language barriers, and goes directly to the human hearts. Music is the important bridge that facilitates the people-to-people bond. The mission of the Music Education Alliance Across the Silk Road is to transmit the idea of harmonious co-existence with mutual benefits among different cultures and civilizations through music. It will lay the foundation for the ensuing international cooperation. The Alliance has received the positive attention from the state. CCOM will spare no efforts to mobilize the whole faculties and students to construct the Alliance along with the partners at home and abroad, which serves the Belt and Road cooperation. Henceforth, CCOM welcomes ECMDC to participate in the construction of the Alliance.

Mr. ZHANG Yi expressed his gratitude to the warm reception from Mr. YU Feng. He remarked, as the European NGO, ECMDC is actively dedicated to the people-to-people communication and cultural exchange between China and Europe. ECMDC has established the multiple-layered cooperation mechanism with EU HQ and EU Member States. As early as at Berlin Global Meeting in November, 2015, ECMDC has already discussed the issue of establishing the people-to-people mechanism through music with European friends. Later, ECMDC has become the partner of the Silk Road Symphony Orchestra (SRSO), which is conducted by the famous German musician Jan Moritz Onken. SRSO has made its successful debut in Berlin on June 11^th, 2016. ECMDC is in the process of negotiating with several important European cities to explore the feasibility of establishing China Cultural Exchange Center. This proposal has received the positive support from European mayors. Since CCOM is the top music school in China, ECMDC is quite willing to work with CCOM to establish the best cooperation mechanism to meet the requirement of CCOM in various aspects. 

Mr. YU Feng said, CCOM is consistently putting the international cooperation on the top priority. The establishment of the Alliance has reinforced the related demands. The current high-quality resources of ECMDC will be of great help to boost the development of CCOM and the Alliance, to which Mr. YU Feng expressed his warm welcome. Mr. YU Feng made the further elaboration on the future action plan of the Alliance. He remarked, the Alliance aims to promote the cooperation and exchange among those countries along the Belt and Road with a view to presenting the excellent national music pieces of the concerned countries to more and more audiences from different countries. CCOM has made the great achievements in the efforts of inheriting the traditional and national music of China; in the meanwhile, CCOM has made remarkable pioneering, and created the remarkable modern music works with the tradition as the basis. These remarkable works will be the content of music exchange of the Alliance, which will enable foreign friends along the Belt and Road to have a further understanding of Chinese national culture. Mr. YU Feng also mentioned, CCOM is actively promoting the construction of Overseas Music Center, and has the intention of establishing CCOM Overseas Music Center in important European cities. This Center will help Europeans to know Chinese national music, CCOM, Chinese culture and China. The future Center will be the overseas exchange and study center of CCOM, which will be a new channel for cultural diplomacy. Mr. YU Feng remarked, CCOM is quite looking forward to working with ECMDC to jointly construct CCOM Overseas Music Center.   

Mr. ZHANG Yi said, ECMDC will spare no efforts to assist CCOM in establishing Overseas Music Center. As the executive member of Sino-European cooperation on urbanization, ECMDC is dedicated to Sino-European cooperation on the municipal development, in which music and cultural exchange assumes the important role. Henceforth, ECMDC will make the detailed action plan for CCOM Overseas Music Center on the basis of the previous proposal for China Cultural Exchange Center. ECMDC will contact mayors of European cities, and choose the ideal location and place to establish the Music Center. Mr. ZHANG Yi said, ECMDC will fully mobilize its European resources to meet the demands of CCOM, and turn the future Center to be the best international cooperation platform of CCOM. In the meanwhile, ECMDC intends to organize the professional orchestra of CCOM to participate in the high-level international forums co-sponsored by ECMDC, and the related tour performance in Europe. Mr. ZHANG Yi remarked, ECMDC is willing to work with CCOM to work out the sustainable action plan to ensure the active participation of social forces with the purpose of actualizing the integration between music exchange and non-governmental diplomacy, the publicity of cities. To unite people with music will be the solid foundation for the future cooperation with mutual benefits. ECMDC is quite looking forward to becoming the best partner of CCOM and the Alliance.

Mr. ZHANG Yi and Mr. YU Feng reached the consensus of cooperation, and would have the further discussion concerning the road map for the follow-up. Both parties believed that, the partnership between ECMDC and CCOM will open a new channel for Sino-European people-to-people communication. There is a brilliant future ahead for the bilateral cooperation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties took the group photos to memorize this meaningful moment.