Over the past year, Interlochen faculty and staff have been developing stronger ties to one of Asia’s leading music schools, the Shanghai Conservatory Middle School. Founded in 1953, the school is affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory and serves secondary students. This fall, the Interlochen campus welcomed eight visitors from the music school for a one-week visit, and plans are underway to send a small group of Interlochen students and faculty on a similar trip to Shanghai in the near future.
“This kind of exchange is incredibly valuable,” said Kedrik Merwin, director of the music program at Interlochen. “Not only does it reaffirm Interlochen’s global scope and mission, it gives us an opportunity to work with wonderful people who live a half-world away and share our commitment to music and artistry.”
Bravely fighting off their jet lag, the six Shanghai students, including one brass quintet and one harpist, immediately started attending rehearsals and classes. They were aided throughout their visit by Interlochen hosts who were Chinese students in the Academy’s English as a second language (ESL) program.
In addition to the regular activities at the Academy, the students enjoyed a master class with John Marcellus from the Eastman School of Music and watched the Academy’s concerto competition. Their week culminated with a brass quintet and harp recital performance that filled Dendrinos Chapel and Recital Hall.
Of all the students’ musical experiences, Merwin thought that jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci and pianist Aaron Diehl might have made the most vivid impression. “For the most part, the musical repertoire and background of the Shanghai students is very similar to our own, but jazz was a very new and unfamiliar idiom for them,” said Merwin. “I enjoyed sharing a new musical experience and I’m already looking forward to giving our own students a similar opportunity when we take a group of Interlochen students to Shanghai.”
