In recent years, with the deepening of cultural exchanges between China and the United States, Chinese music has gradually entered the vision of American audiences.
In 2018, the first Chinese folk music program in the western world was opened at Bard College, one of the top music schools in the United States.
How are Western audiences accepting Chinese music?
How to promote the development of Chinese music in the western world?
Recently, Cai Jindong, dean of the US-China Music Institute at Bard College and a famous conductor, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "East and West Questions" in Washington, D.C., and shared his insights on Eastern and Western music and his role in promoting the development of Chinese music in the Western world. efforts and results.
[Subtitles] How do you view the differences between Eastern and Western music?
Do Eastern and Western music have something in common?
[Concurrent] Director of the US-China Music Institute at Bard College, famous conductor Cai Jindong
I think music is the same.
Music does not need any language to explain, everyone can feel it.
Music is the connection between people after expressing their emotions.
There are indeed some differences between Chinese music and Western music.
Chinese music pays more attention to the relationship between music and nature, and people are part of nature.
Western music pays more attention to the connection between music and human emotions.
But I think that in the 21st century, there are many things that can be mixed together. Contemporary Western composers rarely write concertos in D minor, there will always be a title, and it is no longer enough to describe (with) the music.
Chinese music has been greatly influenced by Western music in recent years, and it has become richer in harmony and structure.
So both kinds of music are developing differently, in fact approaching in a way.
[Subtitles] How do you view Westerners' cognition and acceptance of Chinese music?
[Concurrent] Director of the US-China Music Institute at Bard College, famous conductor Cai Jindong
(Previously) Western understanding of Chinese music is very little.
The lesser reason has to do with history.
Western music has dominated the world for the past 200 to 300 years.
(Now) because China's economy has developed, (the West) has become more interested in Chinese culture.
In the past few decades, we have cultivated many excellent artists for Western music, such as pianists, violinists, and composers, which have made Western people (more interested) in the development of Chinese music.
Why can Chinese society produce so many artists?
It will start to figure out what role music has played in Chinese society.
[Subtitles] How to bring Chinese music into the Western world?
[Concurrent] Director of the US-China Music Institute at Bard College, famous conductor Cai Jindong
When I was at Stanford, (did) the Pan-Asian Music Festival for more than ten years, providing a platform to introduce Asian music in the United States, and every year there are works by Chinese composers.
Now that I am at Bard College, I hope to establish a base for Chinese music in Bard.
I think people in the United States and the West who are interested in Chinese music will gradually join.
Pipa is a Chinese musical instrument, Erhu is a Chinese musical instrument, but it cannot be said that they are just a Chinese musical instrument, they are musical instruments that anyone can use to express themselves.
(Like) Beethoven used the trombone for the first time in an orchestra, and Western orchestras have also moved forward.
In the 21st century, all Chinese musical instruments can become part of the symphony orchestra.
Like the recently established Bard East and West Orchestra, which puts Chinese and Western instruments together.
Maybe in the future, composers will know that I want to create for such a form, and then there will be a new direction for the development of music.
(Reporter Sha Hanting Produced by Liu Yinghan)
Responsible editor: [Li Ji]