Events/Activities

FALL 2023

"Bring a memory to life: A Preliminary Study of Jewish Musicians Living in China in the Early to Mid-20th Century"

"What matters in life is not what happens to you, but what you remember and how you remember it," said Gabriel García Márquez, author of One Hundred Years of Solitude. For musicians and their compositions, preserving their work is just the beginning; the most important step is to bring their music back to life on today's stages. This research project focuses on discovering the lives of Jewish musicians living in China during the early to mid-20th century. This research aims to uncover their musical creations, significant contributions to classical music, and the remarkable stories defining their lives. Ultimately, the goal is to reintroduce these musical masterpieces to a modern audience.

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7 pm
Beth Sholom Synagogue - Memphis, TN
6675 Humphreys Blvd, Memphis, TN 38120-2359

College Music Society 66th National Conference Explores Innovative Music Education in Miami

The 66th National Conference of the College Music Society (CMS) took place at the Miami Marriott Dadeland in Miami, Florida, from October 26 to 28, 2023. This event was held in conjunction with the 2023 National Conference of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI). 

Drawing in a diverse audience of over 350 participants, the CMS National Conferences bring together faculty, administrators, graduate students, independent scholars, composers, publishers, and music business professionals who share a collective commitment to enhancing music education and its integration with other academic disciplines in higher education. 

Mihoko Watanabe, the Program Chair for the 2023 CMS National Conference, expressed high expectations for this year's event, anticipating it to be both thrilling and intellectually stimulating. The conference's theme, "The World Becomes What We Teach: Innovative, Inclusive, Empathetic, and Joyful," guided the selection of numerous innovative and creative presentations. 

The conference program spanned a wide array of topics related to the philosophy and practice of music within higher education. Through various formats, such as research papers, demonstrations, performances, lecture-recitals, panels, posters, and workshops, the CMS conferences provide: 

• A platform for sharing insights on teaching. 
• Experiencing new music. 
• Envisioning the future of musical education

One of the lightning talk presentations at the conference was given by EASI visiting professor Dr. Jie Gao. Titled "Nurturing Student Initiative in Instrumental Practice: Insights from Contemporary Educational Research," this project was also selected by the CMS program committee for a virtual presentation at the 66th National Conference in Miami. 

Dr. Gao's research project delved into a common challenge faced by music educators, proposing additional strategies to foster students' initiative in instrumental practice by integrating insights from research on willpower instinct and cognitive load theory. The ultimate goal of this research is to help students develop "phronesis," practical wisdom through music learning, and to apply this wisdom to their broader academic pursuits.

SPRING 2023

The Iris Collective Will Hold The "Intersections" Concert

The Iris Collective will hold a concert named "Intersections" of Avery Fisher Career Grant winner violinist Randall Goosby, and the New York Times "Best of 2021" pianist Zhu Wang, at 7:30 pm Thursday, February 9, 2023, at the Crosstown Theater, Memphis. They will perform with Iris musicians celebrating music's capacity to connect us to our past and families. 

In partnership with the Iris Collective, the two young musicians will also join the Community events, which will focus on cultural dialogue using music as a tool to engage area youth and their parents, particularly in underserved communities. Activities will take place at the University of Memphis and select neighborhood and school facilities. Activities and performances connected with this project will specifically engage the Black and Chinese communities of Memphis, celebrating their rich cultures and presence in Memphis. The "meet and greet" event will be at the Green Room at Crosstown Arts on February 8 at 5:30 pm.

Randall Goosby and Zhu Wang will be sharing the repertoire of Black and Chinese composers as a way to engage students in the cultural dialogue. Students will be asked to interview family members of multiple generations, if possible, in order to create a music history for their family. In the second workshop, these histories will be turned into a narrative that will be performed by the students, with music that is co-curated with the students, Goosby, Wang, and other Iris musicians. When possible, new musical material will be written by, with, and for those families. Final sharing will take place in public events in partner venues such as Crosstown Theater, the East Asian Studies Institute at the University of Memphis, and Memphis-Shelby County Schools for the families of the student participants.

On the Program

William Grant Still- Suite
Antonin Dvorak- Sonatina for Violin and Piano
Zhang Zhao- Pi Huang (moments from Beijing Opera) for solo piano
Antonin Dvorak- Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, movements 1 and 4

Special Guests

Randall Goosby (Violinist)

"For me, personally, music has been a way to inspire others" – Randall Goosby's own words sum up perfectly his commitment to being an artist who makes a difference. Signed exclusively to Decca Classics in 2020 at the age of 24, American violinist Randall Goosby is acclaimed for the sensitivity and intensity of his musicianship alongside his determination to make music more inclusive and accessible, as well as bringing the music of under-represented composers to light. Highlights of Randall Goosby's 2021/22 season include debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl, Baltimore Symphony under Dalia Stasevska, Detroit Symphony under Jader Bignamini, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra.

Zhu Wang (Pianist)

Praised as "especially impressive" and "a thoughtful, sensitive performer" who "balanced lyrical warmth and crisp clarity" (Tommasini – The New York Times), Chinese pianist Zhu Wang was awarded First Prize at the 2020 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. Zhu appeared as a soloist and chamber musician at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, 92nd Street Y, Shanghai Concert Hall, Davies Hall in San Francisco, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Zhu was a Bravo Vail! Piano Fellow during the summer of 2022. Currently pursuing his Post-Baccalaureate Diploma at Curtis Institute of Music, Zhu feels very fortunate to be studying with Robert McDonald. 

The Chinese New Year At The Annual Family Day Event Of The Belz Museum

The Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art will hold the Chinese New Year at the annual Family Day Event. Besides the performance and Culture Exploration workshops, there will also be the award announcement of The Belz Museum Art Contest. The East Asian Studies Institute, the University of Memphis, and The Memphis Chinese Community Center sponsor this event.

Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm, Saturday, January 28, 2023

The Event Schedule:

12:00-1:00 pm Culture Exploration
1:00 -1:30 pm Performance
1:30 -4:00 pm Culture Exploration & Arts and Crafts Workshop
*3:00 pm Award announcement of The Belz Museum Art Contest

Location:

The Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art
119 S Main Street
Concourse Level
Memphis, Tn 38103
www.belzmuseum.org

SUMMER 2022

Supporting Students Having International Perspectives

The 2022 Governor's School for International Studies (GSIS) was successfully held at the University of Memphis (UM) campus from June 4th to July 2nd. Hosted by the UM since 1986, the GSIS is a four-week on-campus program for highly-motivated and academically-talented rising high school juniors and seniors.

In East Asian Studies, the GSIS and the East Asian Studies Institute (EASI) of UM (formerly known as CIUM) had excellent cooperation for over two decades, such as assisting and providing cultural resources and materials (Taichi fans, Calligraphy supplies, Chinese costumes, etc.) to GSIS. Moreover, EASI offered courses and instructors in human/cultural geography, the Chinese language, study abroad, etc. The director of EASI, Professor Kong, said, "We strongly support and provide students of GSIS with an understanding of the diversity and culture of the world to make this world more peaceful and harmonious."

The Chinese language and culture class instructor, Ms. Jingjing Li, expressed her gratitude for EASI's support and said: "Most of the students in my class have no experience with Chinese learning before. The Language class accounts for 20% of the Anthropology course grade. One of the most popular activities is the language meal. In this activity, we had Chinese food, and students had a show related to Chinese culture, including fan dance, poetry, and a fashion show. The reason students like this class is not only learning Chinese but also learning the history and culture of China, which is more valuable. They love learning Chinese, giving them a different cultural perspective.

SPRING 2022

The UNT Chinese Ensemble 2022 Spring Concert

The UNT Chinese Ensemble 2022 Spring Concert will be held on Wednesday, 8:00 pm (CT), April 20, 2022, at the Voertman Hall of the College of Music, University of North Texas. This concert is organized by UNT College of Music and co-organized by the East Asian studies institute, University of Memphis.

The University of North Texas College of Music is the largest public university music program in the United States and one of the most globally respected. After the UNT Chinese Ensemble was established in 2016, it became the first of its kind at a Texas university. Directed by founding director Yuxin Mei, the ensemble plays in the traditional Jiangnan sizhu (Silk and Bamboo) style. They have played at many events on campus and throughout the DFW area, including the Society for Ethnomusicology Southern Plains 2020 Conference and the Celebration of Chinese New Year at the Crow Collection of Asian Art Museum in Dallas AT&T Performance Center Volunteer Award Party.

This concert is named “Celebrating Chinese Traditional Festivals” to introduce six traditional pieces in multitype which describe the festive jubilation.

The link to the live broadcast is as follows：https://music.unt.edu/recording

Documentary Film Screening:

The 2022 Biodiversity Documentary Film Festival at UofM 

(Download Schedule)

The 2022 Biodiversity Documentary Film Festival begins on March 22 Tuesday at the UC Theatre at the University of Memphis, debuting two documentaries:

Secret Worlds of Wanglang and Our National Park, Qinghai. The former was directed by DR. BINBIN LI, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Duke Kunshan University, about National Park Wanglang, one of the last refuges for wild animals, including giant pandas. The latter was directed by Li, Xiao, about two other National Parks in Qinghai Province, China. Both parks have a variety of wildlife, including snow leopards, wild yaks, and white-lipped deer. These documentaries help the audience "travel" to the most nature-alluring attractions from your seat.

After the welcome remarks by DR. HSIANG KUNG, the director of the East Asian Studies Institute (EASI) of University of Memphis, and DR. JIE GAO, a visiting professor of EASI, DR. DUANE McKENNA, the Director of the Center for Biodiversity Research at the Department of Biological Sciences of UofM, gave a brief lecture on Biodiversity on a Rapidly Changing Planet. The chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, DR. DAVID FREEMAN, also attended the opening ceremony.

The showcase, which runs through March 31, includes three additional international features about rare and endangered species, flora and fauna reserves, national parks, and the global water shortage crisis. The Mysterious Orchids, directed by Feng, Yiming, reveals a new dimension in the lives of orchids in their natural habitat, from the incredible diversity of their botanical characteristics to their various ways of pollination to overcome the challenges of nature. The Chanting of Pu'er Tea, directed by Duo, Xiang, focuses on the long history and legendary stories, and describes Pu'er Tea in multiple ways: Biological, industrial, and social aspects. Day Zero was a documentary directed by the award-winning filmmaker Virginia Quinn and Kevin Sim and premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival. It recounts the devastating water shortages caused by humankind's activities in different countries, including Brazil, South Africa, the United States, and China, with a three-year filming period. 

These films were produced by Chengdu Mountain Culture Communication Co., Qinghai Municipal Administration of Radio and Television, Shenzhen Tencent Computer Systems Co., Yunnan Media Group and Lancang-Mekong International Channel, and Guangxi Radio and Television.

This event is hosted by the East Asian Studies Institute of UofM and co-hosted by the Center for Biodiversity Research at the Department of Biological Sciences of UofM for revealing the knowledge and information of global biodiversity. DR. DUANE McKENNA said that sharing biodiversity research with the public would help more people realize the importance of species diversity, closely related to each of us. DR. FREEMAN mentioned that those documentaries would benefit students' academic study. 

An audience member shared her experience after watching the movie: “I really did not expect that raising a cow would use so much water, and the global water crisis is already so urgent.” Like ANTONIO NOBRE, an expert of the Brazilian Institute for Space Research, says in the film, “what would you do if you knew what I know.”