On Friday, April 19, Wei He, CEO and artistic director of The Tianjin Juilliard School, participated in a panel discussion at the annual conference of the Committee of 100, hosted in New York. Committee of 100 is a nonprofit organization founded 34 years ago that addresses the critical issues impacting the Chinese community in America, and attendees of the conference included Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, science, technology, and the arts.
The discussion, titled “Diplomacy Through Food and Culture,” also featured Martin Yan, prominent chef and food journalist, Maxwell K. Hearn, Douglas Dillon chairman of the department of Asian art at the Metropolitan Museum, and Jindong Cai, the founding director of the Bard US-China Music Institute. Together, the panel discussed the power of cultural practices, namely food, art, and music, in fostering mutual understanding and respect in a turbulent world.
During the panel discussion, Wei He spoke about the impact of the school beyond excellence in music education. The mission of the school evolved over time and currently the institution serves as a catalyst in the region to connect communities through music and become a bridge between cultures.
Wei He performing at Committee of 100's annual conference and gala. Photo: Jack Li
In addition to the panel discussion, Tianjin Juilliard presented two performances during the event. Wei He and Pre-College alumnus Melissa Li presented two works for violin and piano: an original composition by Melissa Li titled “Rhapsody” and “Eclogue” by Tianjin Juilliard faculty Niccolo Athens. Then, the Shanghai Quartet performed the first movement of Dvorak’s String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96 (“American”) and “A Single Bamboo Can Easily Bend” from Zhou Long’s “Chinese Folk Songs.”
The Shanghai Quartet performing at Committee of 100's annual conference and gala. Photo: Jack Li