“China is not just an economic superpower, it has a hunger for culture and that includes Western classical music,” Emma Hannigan writes on Monday (7/20) at Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (New South Wales). “Rory Jeffes, Managing Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra believes that the future of Western classical music may lie in the East.” This July musicians from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra are mentoring students from the Shanghai Orchestra Academy, founded by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Shanghai Conservatory of Music. “Jeffes believes the teaching they get here in Australia helps to hone their teamwork skills. ‘Largely as a result of the one child policy for so long, an enormous amount of aspiration is invested in that one child so the very talented musicians are brought up to be the next Lang Lang or the next Yo Yo Ma so they learn fantastic skills but don’t necessarily have embedded right from the start the ability to play as an ensemble,’ he said. The young Chinese musicians performing at Sydney’s Opera House are hoping their appearance there is just the first of many in the world’s top class venues.”
Posted July 22, 2015
