Music Confucius Classroom at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music

The Music Confucius Classroom of the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music is the first Confucius Classroom featured with international education and dissemination of Chinese music as its core content, which was established in June 2019 by the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music. By integrating quality music and cultural resources of these two institutions, taking opera creation and performance as the lead, the Music Confucius Classroom of the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music aims to build a center for Chinese music studies and a center for Chinese music experience and exchange among Belt and Road countries, enhancing cultural and educational exchanges between China and countries in Central and Eastern Europe, combining different forms including music teaching, performance, exhibitions and research. 

As the first Confucius Classroom featured with international education and dissemination of Chinese music as its core content, the institution has played an important role in international education of Chinese music and the exchange of music culture: it has offered courses in Erhu, Yangqin, Bamboo flute, Cucurbit flute, Ba wu, Xun, Guzheng, Guqin, Pipa, vocal music, etc. Approved by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education, a credit course of "Chinese Music Culture and History" was opened at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music; and the establishment of long-term teaching sites for Chinese music and Chinese language was negotiated with Kyiv No. 9 Music Primary School, Oriental Art School, Ukrainian University and other schools. In October 2019, the China-Ukraine "Eight Tones Ensemble", jointly composed of Chinese public and volunteer teachers and musicians from the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music, was officially launched. "Eight Tones Ensemble" has presented in many national, school-level and public welfare activities, recorded the first album of the "Eight Tones Ensemble", and received many invitations  from Lithuania, Poland, UK, USA and Ukraine. In February 2021, the China-Ukraine "Eight Tones Opera Choir" was established together with the Department of Opera Singing of the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music, which aims to promote Chinese classical songs and modern Chinese operas with professionalism and more diverse forms, and plans to create new operas to promote China-Ukraine music and cultural exchange. 

Chinese chorus I Miss Her Very Much

In the process of teaching, teachers focus on developing special courses, in which music and Chinese teaching combine and promote each other. Since September 2020, they have been editing and translating the first Chinese language textbook on Chinese music in Ukrainian, which includes Chinese Pinyin, Chinese strokes, Chinese grammar, 100 sentences commonly used in Chinese, Chinese musical terms, and Chinese classics reading.

Since its establishment, the Music Confucius Classroom has organized nearly 40 Chinese music and cultural activities in various forms and contents, with participants covering different groups such as Ukrainian parliamentarians, local government leaders, famous Ukrainian musicians and scholars, teachers and students of Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music, as well as students from primary and secondary schools.

Chinese chorus Half Moon Climbs

In October 2019, Music Confucius Classroom was invited by Makarenko, a famous Ukrainian conductor and ambassador for the promotion of Ukrainian culture, to make its debut at the "World of Peace" concert of the International Music Festival of Ukraine, playing and singing Jasmine, allowing local people to get closer to experience Chinese music culture in person.

 

In November 2019, a grand China-Ukraine friendship concert was held at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music , where the "Eight Tones Ensemble" performed "Golden Snake Dance" and "Ukrainian Folk Songs", warmly welcomed by the audience. A famous Ukrainian music conductor exclaimed, " In the past, we have been taking in music from Western Europe, but now we feel that the music of the East, especially Chinese music, is also wonderful and magical, especially the cooperation of the Sino-Ukrainian 'Eight Tones Orchestra', and I seem to feel that Chinese music has provided Ukraine with new development."

Ethnic instrumental ensemble "Golden Snake Dance"

In September 2020, the "Eight Tones Ensemble" opened the closing concert of the International Youth Art Competition at the National Center of Culture and Arts of Ukraine. The work performed by the orchestra is the "China-Ukraine Folk Melody" suite, which was adapted and composed by the orchestra according to the classical folk music of China and Ukraine. Mr. Bobir, General Manager of the National Center of Culture and Arts of Ukraine awarded the "Eight Tones Ensemble" with a certificate and a medal as an honorary guest. He said that he liked Chinese music and culture very much and looked forward to furthering cooperation with the Music Confucius Classroom. He hoped that his daughter could learn Chinese culture.

In May 2021, the "Eight Tones Ensemble" was invited to participate in the "Art Road" grand concert at the National Philharmonic Hall in Kyiv, Ukraine. As the only Chinese and Ukrainian folk orchestra, the "Eight Tones Orchestra" performed a Chinese folk song "Dance of Youth" and a Ukrainian folk song "Bright Moon in the Sky", which made a deep impression on the audience.

Since its establishment, the Music Confucius Classroom at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music has been actively carrying out various cultural and teaching activities with music as the link, relying on the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music, and it has gained a wide and good influence in Ukraine and countries along the Belt and Road, as well as in America, Africa and Asia.