SMTD Welcomes Special Guests from China

Colorado State University School of Music, Theatre and Dance pleased to welcome Faculty and Students from Southwest University

swc-photo_webIt is not often that someone has the opportunity to welcome a guest from out of the country; on Jan. 22, the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at CSU has that exact privilege.

Southwest University, located in Chongqing, China, has a tremendously respected music school. In Nov. 2016, Music, Theatre and Dance Director Dr. Dan Goble traveled to China to visit the faculty and students at Southwest University, and watch a performance by one of their ensembles. After a warm welcome and very hospitable experience, Dr. Goble invited Southwest University to perform at the University Center for the Arts during their visit to Fort Collins and the CSU campus.

The performance takes place Jan. 22, 2 p.m. in the Organ Recital Hall, and is free and open to the public. Seating is first come-first served, and seating will begin 30 minutes before the concert.

During the concert, our guests will present some of the most popular Chinese folks songs, featuring many traditional instruments, including the Dizi, a Chinese flute that has existed for more than 4,500 years; the Yangquin, a steel-stringed percussion instrument; and the Erhu, a very uniquely shaped string instrument played with a bow. These instruments, in addition to performances of Chinese songs by outstanding student and faculty singers, will be used to create a sound and tonal color that exemplifies traditional Chinese culture.

Adults and children alike are encourage to join us for this entertaining and unique performance by Southwest University.

 

Message from Dr. Goble

Please join me in welcoming students and faculty members from the School of Music of Southwest University (SWU) to the University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University. As our two great universities explore opportunities for collaboration and cultural exchange, it is clear that we share a commitment to excellence in the performing arts, as you will hear at the performance of traditional Chinese folk music.

The School of Music of Southwest University is a prestigious research and education-oriented school of music, and can be traced back to 1940 at the Music Training Program of the National Women’s Normal University. The School of Music at SWU offers undergraduate programs in Music Education, Musicology, Performance, and Dance; masters programs in Musical Aesthetic Psychology, Traditional Chinese Music, Music History/Literature, Music Education, and Performance; and doctoral programs in Psychology of Music, History of Chinese Ancient Music, Religious Music Theory, and Teaching/Research of Folk Music.

It is our great privilege to host the School of Music from Southwest University and we look forward to our future exchanges of music, art, and knowledge.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with Southwest University and CSU's Confucius Institute

springfestival2017_tvslide_webIn addition to the traditional Chinese folk music concert at the University Center for the Arts, Southwest University joins the Confucius Institute for a celebration of the Lunar New Year at the 2017 Chinese Spring Festival Gala. Enjoy traditional musical performances by artists from Southwest University in Chinaon Saturday, Jan. 21, 4:30-6 p.m. at the Fort Collins Lincoln Center (417 W. Magnolia St.). The event is free and open to the public.

In modern China, Spring Festival is the celebration of Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year. It is the most important holiday of the year – a time for family to come together in the tradition of honoring gods and ancestors. The Spring Festival is typically celebrated from New Year’s Eve (in the lunar calendar) to the 15th day of the first month of the New Year. 2017 is the Year of the Rooster, symbolizing fidelity and punctuality.