The inaugural Chou Wen-Chung Distinguished Lecture on Chinese Culture begins on May 17 with a presentation by Lei Liang about his work on Chinese landscape paintings at Qualcomm Institute, followed by a talk on “The Sound and Sight of Late Sixteenth Century Chinese State Processional Music” by ethnomusicologist Joseph Lam from the University of Michigan. This lecture interprets the paintings in the contexts of late Ming court culture and with theories of iconography and ethnomusicology, offering answers on the ways the paintings visually capture and preserve state processional music, a performance and discourse of Chinese emperorship and being.

Speakers:

Joseph Lam, Professor of Musicology, University of Michigan

Lei Liang, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Music, UC San Diego

The Chou Wen-Chung Distinguished Lecture is part of a two-day event celebrating the works of an esteemed Chinese-American composer, teacher and cultural ambassador, Chou Wen-chung (1923-2019). On May 18, UC San Diego’s Conrad Prebys Concert Hall will present the world premiere of a percussion concerto inspired by the invaluable collection of percussion instruments donated by the Chou Wen-Chung Estate.  Distinguished Professor of Music Steven Schick will lead a performance of Chou Wen-chung's classic percussion quartet, Echoes from the Gorge. This is a free event and open to the public. You may RSVP for the May 18th performance here.  

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This Chou Wen-Chung Distinguished Lecture on Chinese Culture is organized by the 21st Century China Center at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. For more information on China activities, as well as recordings of previous webinars, please visit china.ucsd.edu.