New Landmark Campus in Tianjin Brings Juilliard’s Rich Tradition of Performing Arts Education to Asia
Dedication Ceremony and Celebration Concert Marks a Historic Milestone for Music Education and Cultural Exchange
Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra’s 2021-22 Performance Season Is Underway
TIANJIN, CHINA – The Tianjin Juilliard School’s Campus Dedication Ceremony and Celebration Concert was held today on Tuesday, October 26, at 4:30pm at the Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall. The campus dedication brought together school and local officials, as well as guest speakers offering congratulatory remarks. The ceremony kicked off with a rousing performance by the Tianjin Juilliard Brass Ensemble, and additional performances by a Tianjin Juilliard Pre-College student and the Shanghai Quartet, the School’s resident faculty quartet. In the evening, guests attended a celebratory concert titled "Music without Boundaries" with Chen Lin, director of the Conducting Department at the Central Conservatory of Music, who returned to conduct the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra in William Schuman’s American Festival Overture, selections from Bao Yuankai’s Chinese Sights and Sounds, and selections from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, at 7:00pm in the Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall.
This occasion marks a major step forward for The Tianjin Juilliard School in broadening access to Juilliard’s rich tradition of performing arts education across China and Asia. Since the School opened in 2020, it has assembled an international roster of faculty; launched two important annual music festivals; developed numerous partnerships with peer institutions in China and Asia; and received guest artists from around the world. Through a strong connection between both Juilliard campuses in New York and Tianjin, the School is leading innovations in the field of music education and developing new curricular and artistic strategies in the twenty-first century to meet the challenges that musicians face in the performing arts. As a model of the 21st-century conservatory, The Tianjin Juilliard School nurtures the next generation of artists to play active roles within their communities, as both artists and leaders.
Joseph W. Polisi, Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Tianjin Juilliard School, said, “This ceremony dedicating the new building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, marks a historic and transformative moment for The Juilliard School's presence in China. We have worked for over 10 years to arrive at this moment; a time when we can celebrate the beginning of a collaboration between China and the United States that will flourish for many years to come. Music is an art form which touches all of humanity, and Juilliard’s tradition of excellence in performance and in education will spearhead our efforts in China and beyond to realize the very best of what the Juilliard experience has represented since 1905."
Damian Woetzel, President of The Juilliard School in New York, said, “Not only is this a stunning architectural achievement, but this School will become a hub for cultural exchange, for collaboration, for musicianship, and for inventive programming in Tianjin. As the bond grows between our New York and Tianjin campuses, we will continue to shape the future of music and of the arts on an international scale.”
AN ICONIC HOME FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Juilliard broke ground in China on June 15, 2017. Located in Tianjin’s new Binhai district, The Tianjin Juilliard School is a 350,000 sq. ft. center for performance, practice, research, and interactive exhibitions, with communal spaces that are designed to welcome the public into the creative process and performance of music. The state-of-the-art campus is designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the world-renowned architecture firm that was responsible for the 2009 expansion of Juilliard’s iconic New York campus. The design of Tianjin Juilliard captures the spirit of Tianjin while creating an architectural connection to Juilliard in New York City. From floating rehearsal and classroom bridges clad in glass to public spaces that extend the surrounding park into the building, the campus revolutionizes the teaching and learning environment for music education, bringing transparency and openness in welcoming visitors to experience music education at its finest. The school opened in fall 2020 with its first class of graduate students. The opening took place in the midst of the global pandemic which delayed the official campus dedication until now.
Charles Renfro, partner at Diller Scofidio + Renfro said, “The Tianjin Juilliard School is an important and multifaceted project, which could not have been completed without the dedication of our many partners across China and the United States. With the team's steadfast guidance and perseverance, we were able to realize a sculpturally dynamic building linking the teaching, practice and performance of classical music."
Alexander Brose, Executive Director and CEO, The Tianjin Juilliard School, said, "Today’s Campus Dedication is the culmination of a concerted and collective effort by hundreds of people worldwide to create an international center for creative excellence and collaboration. The Tianjin Juilliard School exemplifies that music has the unparalleled power to connect us in ways that words cannot. Joseph Polisi’s original vision and unbridled passion for this project paved the way for the artistry and community we celebrate today. The School will inspire future generations of students and audiences alike in the years to come.”
FALL SEASON OVERVIEW
In September this year, The Tianjin Juilliard School welcomed its second class of new graduate students and opened the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra’s 2021-22 music season.
Wei He, Artistic Director and Dean, The Tianjin Juilliard School, said, “I am thrilled to welcome an impressive roster of conductors to lead the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra this season. We are very grateful that many renowned conductors share our vision and are extremely supportive of the School’s program and students. With this season’s rich and diverse programing, it is our hope that audiences will enjoy all the performances and also witness our students’ aspirations, vitality, and growth through music. The Campus Dedication is a historic moment that we have all been waiting for.”
The Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra is the school’s largest student performing ensemble comprised of students from the Tianjin Juilliard Graduate Studies program majoring in orchestral studies and chamber music. Resident faculty and visiting artists play side-by-side with students in rehearsals and performances. In its inaugural season last year, guest conductors included Chen Lin, Zhang Jiemin, Shao En, and Cheng Jiannan. Beginning this year, two student soloists will be selected by an annual competition for concerto performances with the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra in the spring.
2021 – 22 Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra
Upcoming Calendar of Events
Please refer to the online Performance Calendar for the most up-to-date schedule. Ticketing information for in-person performances is also available through the School’s official WeChat platform.
Sunday, November 14, 3:00 pm, Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall
Lin Daye, Conductor
RODION SHCHEDRIN Beethoven’s Heiligenstädter Testament
STRAVINSKY Symphony in C
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67
Sunday, December 12, 3:00pm, Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall
Lan Shui, Conductor
STRAUSS Serenade in E-flat Major, TrV 106, Op. 7
FAURÉ Pelléas et Mélisande: Suite, Op. 80
BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98
Saturday, January 29, 7:00pm, Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall
Chen Lin, Conductor
JOAN TOWER Made in America
GUO WENJING Zhudi Concerto No. 2, “Ye Huo”
STRAVINSKY Monumentum pro Gesualdo di Venosa ad CD annum
STRAVINSKY The Firebird: Suite (1919 version)
Sunday, February 27, 3:00pm, Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall
Jing Huan, Conductor
LIGETI Concert Românesc (Romanian Concerto)
Concerto Competition Winner (TBA)
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43
Sunday, March 27, 3:00pm, Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall
Hu Yongyan, Conductor
SCHUBERT Symphony in B Minor, D. 759, “Unfinished”
WAGNER Forest Murmurs
BRITTEN Johnson over Jordan: Suite
PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25, “Classical”
Sunday, April 24, 3:00pm, Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall
Zhang Guoyong, Conductor
NICCOLO ATHENS A Jiangnan Overture (2019; orch. 2021)
Concerto Competition Winner (TBA)
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 9 in E-flat Major, Op. 70
About The Tianjin Juilliard School
The Tianjin Juilliard School brings Juilliard’s artistic and educational mission to a wider global audience. It is the first performing arts institution in China to offer a U.S.-accredited Master of Music degree. This new campus offers a graduate program for a Master of Music degree from Juilliard in orchestral studies, chamber music, or collaborative piano; a Saturday conservatory-style Pre-College program for advanced students ages 8-18; continuing education programs for professionals and adult learners; public education programs for music learners of all ages; and public performances.
Juilliard developed the school in partnership with The Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area Administrative Commission, and the Tianjin Innovative Finance Investment Company (T.I.F.I.). The Tianjin Juilliard School is a center for performance, practice, research, and interactive exhibitions, with communal spaces that are designed to welcome the public into the creative process and performance of music.
About the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra
Led by renowned conductors from both China and abroad, the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra presents up to ten concerts each season, performing a diverse repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary orchestral works as well as pieces using traditional Chinese instruments. Resident faculty and visiting artists lead discussions, coach sectionals, and play side-by-side with students in rehearsals and performances. Every season, Tianjin Juilliard students share their musical gifts with audiences as they embark on an extraordinary musical journey.
About The Juilliard School
Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. Juilliard’s mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens.Located at Lincoln Center in New York City, Juilliard offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, drama (acting and playwriting), and music (classical, jazz, historical performance, and vocal arts). Currently more than 800 artists from 43 states and 44 countries are enrolled at Juilliard, where they appear in more than 700 annual performances in the school’s five theaters; at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully and David Geffen halls and at Carnegie Hall; as well as other venues around New York City, the country, and the world. The continuum of learning at Juilliard also includes nearly 400 students from elementary through high school enrolled in the Preparatory Division, and more than 800 students are enrolled in Juilliard Extension. Beyond its New York campus, Juilliard is defining new directions in global performing arts education for a range of learners and enthusiasts through The Tianjin Juilliard School and K-12 educational curricula.
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The Tianjin Juilliard School Campus
