CONWAY - The University of Central Arkansas Department of Music is in the midst of the largest exchange in its relationship with East China Normal University and the Fuzhou Symphony Orchestra.
Thirteen people from UCA, including the groups Pinnacle Brass and the Sunaura Trio, will be at East China Normal in Shanghai or with the Fuzhou Symphony Orchestra in Fuzhou, China, over the next two weeks for concerts, master classes, clinics and conversations with Chinese music faculty and professional musicians.
East China Normal has an exchange relationship with UCA. Five Chinese students studied at UCA over the justcompleted school year; one intends to return after her graduation to work on a master's degree. Runyu Hou, the chair of the ECN Music Department and the conductor of its orchestra, came to UCA to work with faculty in October; he brought East China Normal's orchestra to UCA in February. UCA expects five more Chinese music students to study in Conway next year.
"We're strengthening the relationship," said Dr. Jeffery Jarvis, chair of the UCA Department of Music. "We're enjoying the exchange of musical ideas and getting to know these musicians from around the world."
The UCA delegation includes Jarvis, Israel Getzhov, music director of the Conway Symphony Orchestra and assistant professor of music at UCA who is also visiting conductor for the Fuzhou Symphony Orchestra; Pinnacle Brass (Larry Jones, John Merlitz, Brent Shires, Denis Winter and Ben Miles), Sunaura Trio (Carolyn Brown, Lorraine Duso and Kelly Johnson), pianist Neil Rutman and theorists Carol Anthony and Paul Dickinson.
Jarvis said the Chinese musicians had asked specifically for those specialists.
"Their programs are very mature in strings, voice and piano, but woodwind, brass and percussion are very new, and they wanted help with those," he said.
Concerts are set for Wednesday and Friday.
Jarvis said the first year of the music exchange had gone well. "We're doing this in baby steps," he said.
For more information, call Jarvis at (501) 450-5751 or email jarvisj@uca.edu.
River Valley Ozark, Pages 152 on 05/18/2008