(W.E. Talk) Joseph W. Polisi: Music can make U.S. and China understand each other better(3)

CNS: Tianjin Juilliard School (TJS) is a collaboration project between the United States and China on music education. Why did you choose China to build a branch campus of Juilliard? What are the results of this project so far?

Joseph W. Polisi: In about 2008, working with the chairman of the Juilliard board, Bruce Kovner, we embarked on a study of how Juilliard could have a global presence in the world of professional music education.

Although we explored various countries and educational structures, we found that China as a nation and Tianjin as a city were best positioned to support our efforts in creating a permanent Juilliard presence in a country outside of the United States. Since 2011, we have been able to create a robust and productive partnership with our Chinese colleagues from the Tianjin municipal government, the regional authority in the Binhai section of Tianjin, TEDA, the federal Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All these entities, and others, have been instrumental in creating a partnership which has allowed the Tianjin Juilliard School to celebrate its fifth anniversary in 2024-2025.

We look forward to productive programs and exchange experiences in the years ahead. 

CNS: Chinese musical traditions is very different from Western music traditions. What are things in common between the two? How to promote a dialogue between Chinese and Western civilizations through musical exchanges between China and the West?

Joseph W. Polisi: One sees in Chinese musical traditions the same values seen in the West: a respect for discipline within the art form, an understanding of tradition, a quest for excellence, and a process of understanding the fundamental goal that the arts can transcend humanity and present the best values for those who experience them. For me, it is always wonderful to experience Chinese and American young musicians coming together to perform.

Although they speak two very different languages, as soon as they begin to play music together, they find a common language which allows them to understand each other better as musicians and individuals.

If we can take the metaphor of music-making and direct it to geopolitical issues, perhaps we can understand each other better in this important realm as well.