In February, the NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions welcomed a delegation of approximately 50 students, faculty, and administrators from the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) to the NYU Paulson Center. The visit marked a significant step in expanding artistic collaboration and academic exchange between the two institutions.
The program was organized and led by Professor Jonathan Haas, director of NYU Steinhardt’s Percussion Studies program, as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen international partnerships through performance and dialogue. The event reflected NYU’s broader institutional commitment to global engagement in the arts.
Senior university leadership was in attendance, including NYU Steinhardt Dean Jack H. Knott and Eliot Borenstein, Vice Chancellor and Vice Provost for Global Programs at NYU. In their remarks, they emphasized NYU’s long-term global vision and its support for sustained partnership with CCOM.
The program featured performances and presentations from both institutions. NYU’s Percussion Ensemble, under Haas’s direction, performed the first movement of Concerto for Percussion by Chin Yi, arranged for the occasion by Zhaoquan Song. CCOM leadership offered welcome remarks and introduced its Chinese ensemble, followed by an orchestral performance, discussion, and audience Q&A.
Representatives from CCOM expressed appreciation for NYU’s support of academic exchange and its commitment to fostering dialogue between Chinese and American musical traditions. They noted that internationally renowned pianist Lang Lang is both a CCOM alumnus and an honorary doctorate recipient of NYU, reflecting a shared dedication to cultivating artistic excellence. The delegation included 40 members of CCOM’s Chinese music orchestra, who collaborated with NYU students in the Paulson Center’s performance hall.
The delegation was led by CCOM President Yu Hongmei, an erhu professor and prominent Chinese music educator. Her visit carried particular significance as NYU continues to develop its newly established Chinese music orchestra and deepen opportunities for artistic and pedagogical collaboration. CCOM representatives also acknowledged the importance of NYU’s formal invitation, which enabled the delegation to secure approval through China’s Ministry of Education and complete the necessary visa process.
The gathering marked an important milestone in strengthening institutional ties, advancing cross-cultural exchange, and broadening the global reach of Chinese music through performance and scholarship.
