Presidents of Multiple Italian Conservatories Visit China Conservatory of Music

From May to June 2024, presidents and professors from multiple Italian conservatories visited the China Conservatory of Music upon invitation, engaging in a series of academic and collaborative activities.
The delegation consisted of Vittorio Zago, President, and Walter Prati, Vice President, of the Como Conservatory; Alberto Baldrighi, President of the Brescia Conservatory; Maurizio Comencini, Head of the Vocal Department at the Mantova Conservatory; and Balzaretti Carlo, President of the Gallarate Conservatory. During the visit, the four Italian conservatories and the China Conservatory of Music held working meetings respectively, discussed future cooperation, and signed strategic cooperation agreements. Wang Xudong, Party Secretary, and Li Xincao, President, of the China Conservatory of Music participated in separate receptions. In the talks, both sides expressed a shared desire to deepen international cooperation, planning to advance specific collaborations in areas such as joint training programs, student exchanges, faculty and student visits, artistic practice, and academic research, with the aim of cultivating artistic talents with an international perspective.

As the core academic component of this visit, the Italian experts conducted multiple special lectures and masterclasses for students of the China Conservatory of Music. President Zago and Vice President Prati from the Como Conservatory delivered lectures titled "Decomposition and Recomposition: The Musical Works of Vittorio Zago" and "A Bridge Connecting the Past and the Future: The Multicultural Identity of Electronic Music," sharing insights on music creation and providing critiques on students' works. President Zago offered positive feedback on the facilities and teaching standards of the host institution during the exchange.

Renowned vocalist Professor Maurizio Comencini from the Mantova Conservatory conducted a four-day vocal masterclass, listening to performances by 32 students and providing on-site demonstrations and guidance. President Alberto Baldrighi of the Brescia Conservatory similarly conducted a four-day piano masterclass, instructing 27 students. Both Professor Comencini and President Baldrighi acknowledged the students' professional level during the sessions, and their rigorous teaching approach was highly appreciated by the students.

As an internationally active pianist, President Balzaretti Carlo of the Gallarate Conservatory led a three-day piano masterclass, instructing a total of 23 students. His profound artistic accomplishment and teaching experience received high praise from professors at the China Conservatory of Music. The Chinese side expressed hope that this exchange would enhance students' professional skills and artistic cultivation, and deepen higher art education collaboration between the two institutions.

This visit, through strategic agreement signings and intensive academic instruction, substantively promoted mutual understanding and resource sharing between Chinese and Italian music institutions. The activities provided a high-quality international learning platform for students from both sides and aimed to foster sustained, in-depth cooperation and common development in the field of music education between the two countries.