THROUGH THE
Sallyport
Shepherd School
Cultivates Relationship With Chinese Conservatory
From hosting virtuoso professionals to turning prodigies into prodigious talents, Robert Yekovich has been exposed to the best the musical world has to offer. So it is a rarity when Yekovich, the Elma Schneider Professor of Music and dean of the Shepherd School of Music, encounters a moment in which anyone, student or otherwise, evokes from an instrument a sound unlike any he’s ever heard. Such was the case in November when Yekovich sat in the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music (BCCM) concert hall. Joined by only three others in the audience, he listened as teenagers from the conservatory’s middle school performed both Chinese flute and erhu, a traditional two-stringed instrument, alongside violins and cellos. “In technical terms, the students playing the Western European instruments were very, very good,” Yekovich said. “But the virtuosity of the students who performed on traditional Chinese instruments was stunning. The musicality and musical understanding among them all was profound.” While it may be a bit before Yekovich decides to implement an erhu program at the Shepherd School, his visit to China was not without results. He accompanied Kathleen Winkler, a violin professor at the Shepherd School, to meet Beijing Conservatory professors Tong Weidong, who runs the string department at BCCM, and Xing Weikai, who works in the middle school. The two Chinese professors recently visited Rice to observe both teaching and performance at the Shepherd School. In a sign of reciprocity and a desire to cultivate the relationship, Yekovich decided to spend a week with them at their school. There, Yekovich had the chance to listen to multiple concerts and observe a number of master’s-level classes. In addition, at the
middle school, Yekovich led a composition class among the students. Despite the language barriers — Yekovich does not speak Chinese, and only one of the Chinese students spoke English — the students quickly took to Yekovich’s teaching.
been focused on working with the Chinese students, who range in age from 12 to 18, and furthering their skills and helping them progress in their education. “Each trip is different because I interact with different students every time,” she said. “One of the most enjoyable things is learning about the students, their commitment to music and their seriousness of purpose.” While the next steps in building the relationship are pending, Yekovich mentioned that Weikai and Weidong may return to the Shepherd School in the near future and that
“Each trip is different because I interact with different students every time. One of the most enjoyable things is learning about the students, their commitment to music and their seriousness of purpose.” —Kathleen Winkler
“That day, I was essentially the guest clinician,” he said. “The class went very well, and I could tell they comprehended and fully digested everything I was saying.” Yekovich was aided by Winkler, whose work helped ignite the budding relationship between the Shepherd School and the BCCM. Since attending the Beijing International Music Festival and Academy five years ago, Winkler has taken a handful of trips to China each year. Not only did she continue the relationship with the conservatory, but Winkler occasionally took Shepherd School students along to both study and perform. However, the majority of her trips have
additional Shepherd School faculty may soon travel to China on similar educational excursions. A few hurdles — financial- and language-based — remain before an exchange of students occurs. But even if the students don’t travel overseas, their professors will be bringing back all that they can from their journeys. “Making inroads in China is not easy, but the middle school has really embraced us, and we’re deeply appreciative of that,” Winkler said. “We have a wonderful rapport, and we’re very anxious to build on that.” —Casey Michel
Rice Magazine
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No. 10
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2011
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