For press information, contact Gabrielle Maxey, 901/678-2843



The Confucius Institute at the University of Memphis will celebrate its first anniversary with a gala concert Sunday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC). The event also will mark the observance of the Chinese Full Moon Festival and the debut of the Confucius Institute’s Performing Arts Ensemble.

The program will feature the Memphis premiere of two Chinese symphonic masterworks, the violin concerto “Butterfly Lovers” and the piano concerto “Yellow River.”  Pu-Qi Jiang, conductor of the U of M Symphony Orchestra, will conduct.  Liling Zhou, a guest soloist from China's Hubei University, which partnered with the U of M to establish the Confucius Institute, will perform Guzhen.  Featured local artists will include Pyung-Kang Sharon Oh, Valerie Huang, Debra Pan, Gina Sun, and Lisa Zhou.

A silent auction of Chinese art from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. will precede the concert.

Tickets are $20 for individuals, $15 for each member of groups of 10 or more, and $10 each for students with valid I.D.  For reservations, call Nancy Liu at the Confucius Institute of the University of Memphis (CIUM) at 901-678-2595 or the GPAC box office at 901-751-7500.

As part of the anniversary celebration, the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art is loaning two exhibits of Chinese artifacts to be displayed at the Ned McWherter Library. The exhibits, which include about 20 objects of ivory and jade, will be on display throughout the fall semester beginning Sept. 9.

On the second floor of the McWherter Library, the Confucius Institute is displaying a selection of books donated by HANBAN, the Office of the Chinese Language Council International. The collection, which will be housed in the McWherter Library, focuses on such areas as Chinese language, history, geography, literature, and art.

More information about the Confucius Institute is available online at http://cium.memphis.edu