SFCM at the Shanghai World Expo

This past June, musicians from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music joined a prestigious delegation of political, business, tourism and cultural leaders in celebrating “San Francisco Week” at the Shanghai World Expo, as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the San Francisco-Shanghai sister city relationship. Violinist Yinbin Ben Qian and pianist Hanqian Serena Zhu, both Conservatory students, along with clarinetist, faculty member and alumnus Jeff Anderle, performed The Tune Far Away, a trio by former Shanghai Conservatory President and composer Liqing Yang, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai. This piece was previously performed at the San Francisco Conservatory’s Shanghai Celebration Concert this past February.

The trio also played at a special concert at Shanghai Conservatory’s He Luting Concert Hall on June 22, further strengthening a formal relationship between these schools that was forged during the Conservatory’s February celebration concert. Béla Bartók’s Contrasts was followed by the city’s unofficial theme song, Ye Shanghai (Nights of Shanghai), arranged by students of the Shanghai Conservatory composition department.

Wei He, a Conservatory faculty member and former San Francisco Symphony violinist, and his ensemble Bridge Chamber Virtuosi (featuring Conservatory alumni Jory Fankuchen, viola, Ming Xue, cello and Jonathan Goldstein, percussion) joined Shenshen Zhang, a world-renowned performer on the pipa (a Chinese four-stringed instrument) for Shanghai Trilogy, a new work for violin, viola, cello, percussion, pipa, electronics and slide show by Joan Huang, a Shanghai-born composer currently based in Los Angeles. This special piece was commissioned by the Sister City Committee as a gift from San Francisco to Shanghai. Professor He also joined Weicong Zhang, professor of chamber music at the Shanghai Conservatory, for Brahms’s Violin Sonata in G Major.

“We are honored to have been invited by the Sister City Committee to represent San Francisco’s diverse cultural landscape during this momentous event,” said Alexander Brose, the Conservatory’s Associate Vice President for Advancement, who travelled as a delegate. “The Conservatory has a long, rich history with the musicians of Shanghai and we, along with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, look to celebrate this past while we also search for new ways through which our partnership can be strengthened.”

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The entire San Francisco Conservatory of Music delegation and members of the Shanghai Conservatory faculty enjoy a dinner at Meilongzhen Restaurant, one of Shanghai’s oldest eateries.	San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and other members of the Shanghai-San Francisco Sister City Committee cut the ribbon in front of the Urban Best Practices Pavilion to commence “San Francisco-Shanghai Sister City Week” at the Shanghai Expo.
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and The Conservatory’s Alexander Brose pose inside the Urban Best Practices Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo.	The world renowned singing group Chanticleer, including Conservatory graduate Ben Jones, sings at the Sister City Week Gala Dinner.
The Bridge Chamber Virtuosi, including Conservatory graduates Wei He, Jonathan Goldstein, Ming Xue and Jory Fankuchen are joined by Chinese pipa player Shenshen Zhang during their performance of “Shanghai Trilogy” by composer Joan Huang at the Sister City Week Gala Dinner.	San Francisco Conservatory students and their relatives pose for a photo after the “Shanghai Celebration Recital” at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
A larger-than-life sign advertises the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s recital at the Shanghai Conservatory.	Conservatory alumni, faculty, staff and current students pose in front of the sign advertising the “Shanghai Celebration Concert” at the Shanghai Conservatory.
Conservatory faculty Wei He and Associate VP for Advancement Alexander Brose pose with Shanghai Conservatory composition faculty member Qiangbin Chen (middle left) and Vice President Yandi Yang (middle right) after a meeting at the Shanghai Conservatory.	San Francisco Conservatory performers Yinbin Qian, Hanqian Zhu and Jeff Anderle take a bow during the “Shanghai Celebration Recital” at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Conservatory alumni Jory Fankuchen (left) and Jonathan Goldstein with their new best friend at a Sichuanese restaurant in Shanghai.