19-22 September 2019

Chinese Music Research Institute,

Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing

 

 

‘Contrasts in Chinese Music’ – view the full programme here

 

We received more than 150 proposals for presentations at the upcoming 22nd international CHIME conference. Critical selection was needed to arrive at a programme that would fit within four days, but we now look forward to a rich and challenging event, of concerts, films and talks, with performances of traditional opera, new as well as traditional Chinese music (with the ConTempo Ensemble from Beijing and a host of prominent Chinese traditional players).

 

The meeting will take place at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing from 19 to 22 September 2019, with the Conservatory's Chinese Music Research Institute acting as main host. For the full programme see further down below. You can also check out the Conservatory’s website  (www.ccom.edu.cn).

Speakers (except for our especially invited guests of honour) are expected to make their own flight arrangements and hotel bookings, which is best done via international hotel booking sites. The Central Conservatory 中央音乐学院 is located on the Western 2nd Ring Road just south of the Fuxingmen (复兴门) crossing in Cental Beijing. Its official address is 43 Baojia Street (鲍家街 43 号). 

 

The hotel closest to the Conservatory is the Merchantel Hotel at Xibianmen Wai Street No.2. Other hotel venues can be found at further distance in the Xicheng district, with prices for single beds varying from 65 to 90 Euros or more per night. The Central Conservatory can provide details about other hotels in its vicinity. For information, please get in touch directly with our liaison officer at the Central Conservatory in Beijing, Ms. Bai Jiahuan (258645655@qq.com).

 

A four-day conference would never allow us to introduce to you all the music we would love to share with the Chime-goers! Therefore, after the conference in Beijing, the organizing committee invites all participants who are interested to join a follow-up event hosted by the Jin Opera and Art Academy in Lüliang City in Shanxi Province from 23 to 26 September, with five kinds of local folk and opera music (ranging from shadow puppet threatre to Jin Opera), as well as an excursion to the ancient town of Qikou. 

We will send a registration form to everyone who expresses an interest in joining the CHIME meeting in Beijing as a listener. On the registration form you can also indicate if you wish to join the Lüliang follow-up event. Departure flights for Lüliang are on the morning of Monday 23 September, and return flights to Beijing on the morning of Thursday 26 September. You are expected to make your own flight bookings for this, but the hosts of CHIME in Lüliang, the Jin Opera and Art Academy, can help you to arrange accommodation in Lüliang. (The prices there for a single room including breakfast are 368 RMB (48 Euros) per person, or 350 RMB (45 Euros) per person for a double standard room. Lunch and dinner in Lüliang are at 65 RMB (9 Euros) per person per day. 

If you have any questions concerning practical arrangements, you can contact our liaison at the Central Conservatory, Ms Bai Juahuan (email: 258645655@qq.com).

 

 

Theme of the conference

This year’s main theme is 'Contrasts in Chinese Music'. In Chinese translation, the theme is formulated a bit more broadly, as 对比与碰撞——中国音乐当代研究 (Duibi yu pengzhuang, 'Contrasts an collisions – contemporary research on Chinese music').  China is a country of contrasts. Its many musical traditions represent different, often opposite realms of culture and ways of life. In this meeting, we aim to investigate such contrasts from as many angles as possible: for example, ‘official’ musical stage and media concerts pitted against local or underground music, high-brow ancient court music versus present-day ceremonial state music, popular versus elite and ‘low’ versus ‘high’ traditions, written versus oral music, composed versus improvised and inherited repertoires, art music as compared to functional music, etc. 

 

The challenge, of course, is to sort out not just what sets musicians, repertoires, pieces or musical gestures apart, but also to examine their possible hidden connections. The concerts that will accompany this edition of CHIME will reflect these contrasts, and will range from Shanxi folk music to conservatory style virtuoso performances and avant-garde works.

 

 

Presentations in English or in Chinese

The languages of the meeting are English and Chinese. We very much encourage speakers to bring summaries or translations of their presentations, which we can hand out or (preferably) include in our book of abstracts. The Organising Committee for the 2019 Meeting consists of Jia Guoping, Song Jin, Tang Qiong, Li Shuqin (based at the Chinese Music Research Institute of CCOM) and Frank Kouwenhoven (CHIME). 

The Abstract Review Committee consists of Frank Kouwenhoven (CHIME), Barbara Mittler (University of Heidelberg), Luo Qin (Shanghai Conservatory of Music), Li Shuqin, Song Jin, Zhang Boyu (Central Conservatory, Beijing) and Andreas Steen (Aarhus University Denmark).

 

The deadline for submission has passed.