Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory Rector Prof. Alexander S. Sokolov and his wife visited TNUA in May. In the same month, a delegation from TNUA’s Department of Music departed for Japan.
Prof. Sokolov, along with Mrs. Rarisa Panfilovna Sokolova, arrived at TNUA on May 17 and gave a lecture. He was at TNUA exploring further exchange possibilities between the two institutions in areas covering teaching and performances.
TNUA President Prof. Ju, Tzong-Ching gave the guests a warm welcome, lauding the Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory as a respectable school. One of its renowned alumni, Mstislav Rostopovich, also received an honorary doctorate from TNUA, Prof. Ju noted. He has visited Russia and performed there twice. He said he was deeply impressed by the warm hospitality shown him by the Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory during his visit in 2007 when the school was busy with its student recruitment but still managed to arrange a fruitful itinerary for him.
Prof. Sokolov said when he was Russia’s minister of culture he was aware and happy that the Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory forged sister school ties with TNUA in 2006. He said he hoped his visit could further tighten the collaboration between the two schools, extending a warm invitation to TNUA teachers and students to visit Russia.
On May 20, Prof. Hwei-Jin Liu, dean of the School of Music, heading a 43-member delegation from the Department of Music, departed for Japan for a one-week visit to the Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai) and Ochanomizu University, both of which are sister schools of TNUA. During their stay, they rehearsed intensively for a few days with more than 30 students and teachers from Geidai for a joint concert on May 23. Other activities included meetings between teachers from both sides, while Geidai Prof. Fujimoto Takafumi also honed TNUA students’ percussion skills.
Following their stay at Geidai, the TNUA delegation went on to visit Ochanomizu University, a school with a history of more than 130 years that became TNUA’s sister school in 2002. The TNUA students staged a performance, with Ochanomizu President Prof. Sawako Hanyu expressing the hope that both sides will conduct more exchange activities in the future.