On May 31, the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music (ZJCM) convened an online collaborative negotiation meeting with the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University in the United States. Attendees included ZJCM President Wang Rui, Vice President Dong Dejun, and specially appointed American Professor Wu Man, as well as Dean Abra K. Bush of the Jacobs School of Music, the School’s Associate Vice President for International Partnerships Shawn Reynolds, Viola Professor Li-Kuo Chang, and Director of China Gateway at Indiana University Steven Yin.

Wang Rui started with an overview of ZJCM in talent cultivation, discipline and major setting, scientific research and creation mechanisms, artistic practice, and social services, as well as international exchange and cooperation. He also mentioned ZJCM’s innovative development concepts, such as the establishment of “five academies”, and the success of talent cultivation and art practice like organizing the Hangzhou Contemporary Music Festival and International Chamber Music Festival from an international perspective. He stressed that ZJCM was home to a lot of world-renowned artists and maintained extensive international cooperation in education projects. Many outstanding artists regularly cooperate with ZJCM to conduct master classes, concerts, and other activities. He mentioned that during the time of the forum, classical Italian operas Don Pasquale and Pagliacci, produced by ZJCM’s Opera Academy, Orchestra Academy, and Choral Academy, together with international master teams made their debuts in Hangzhou, which exemplified the ZJCM’s comprehensive strength in opera production and the development of music performance programs.

Abra K. Bush introduced the history and educational characteristics of the Jacobs School of Music. She highlighted that Indiana University, founded in 1820, is a comprehensive research public university among the top-ranked in the United States. The Jacobs School of Music, with over a century of history, is recognized as a top-tier music educational institution in the United States.

During the meeting, both parties acknowledged the cooperative potential at different levels thanks to the sister-state relationship between Zhejiang Province and Indiana, as well as the sister-city relationship between Hangzhou and Indianapolis. ZJCM and the Jacobs School of Music share numerous similarities, including a large-scale and comprehensive establishment. Apart from music-related majors, they both have dance disciplines, which provide numerous opportunities for cooperation. The two parties discussed collaborating on talent cultivation, exchange programs for teachers and students, and joint concert organizing.