Reporter:

This is "Concert of Australian Music" performed by the orchestra from Sydney Conservatorium. This concert, held in the recital hall of the Central Conservatory of Music, was staged for the benefit of the students and professors of the college.

"I came here because I love music. I'm learning folk music now. From this concert, I have found that Australian music is a little more vivacious than our traditional folk music."

"The Australian music is unique. The members of the orchestra cooperate with each other very well."

This concert is just one performance of "Musicathlon: The Conservatory Music Festival." The two-week festival is presented jointly by the Central Conservatory of Music, or CCOM, and the Yale School of Music. During the festival, ten top conservatories, including the Royal Academy of Music, Liszt Academy and Sydney Conservatorium will perform for Chinese audiences. CCOM Orchestra Academy Artistic Director Hu Yongyan explains why they decided to hold the festival.

"The purpose is to celebrate the Beijing Olympics. It is the first time several well-known schools of music have gotten together in Beijing, and they're doing it right before the games start. It's very extraordinary."

Though it is the first time CCOM has held such an activity, exchange visits between orchestras in different conservatories are common in the music field.

"Actually the exchange has been going on for a long time. Today, China and the world are getting much closer, especially in the music world. We do have all kinds of connections, especially in our professional relationships with the rest of the world."
This is the biggest exchange program in the Chinese music field. Hu Yongyan sees it as a great honor.

"The talent pool in China is booming. Westerners are all amazed to see so many young musicians coming out every year, so we want them to see how we train the young students who will be stars tomorrow."

Hu Yongyan's ideas were met by warm feedback from the foreign musicians, who are curious about Chinese conservatories' achievements in music education.

Kim Walker, the head of Sydney Conservatorium, explains why she brought her orchestra to the event.

"When we received invitations, we immediately said yes. We are excited to see what is going on in different countries with their different music. We also bring our students here to interact with the excellent students here in Beijing."

During the festival, the Chinese orchestras from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and CCOM have covered 3 concerts. Hu Yongyan is very satisfied with his students' performances.

"They all work very hard. Everybody wants to show the best to the world."

Kim Walker also offered positive comments on the Chinese students.

"I came to China in 1990. At that time, Chinese music was more performer-based. The focus was mainly on the virtuosity of some outstanding performers. But now, the music education and musicology seem equally prominent. It's thriving. Everything is evolved, so exciting."

The festival is also a chance for the conservatories to exchange ideas and talent, Hu Yongyan said.

"In general, it's an Oriental thing that our students tend to be more technically professional. When they learn music, they learn skills first. Music itself comes second. But we need to do it both ways. We should learn musicality and techniques at the same time."

According to Hu Yongyan, music education in China has developed significantly during the last 20 years. The body of the students throughout China's conservatories has grown five- or even tenfold. This is good, he said, for it shows there are more people interested in music. However, he still has worries.

"If a conservatory has too many students, then the body of the faculties has to be relatively bigger too. Otherwise, students will lack the attention to learn music. We currently have good violinists and pianists, but we really need to pay attention to the strings and brass divisions, because an orchestra includes all of these sections. "

Hu Yongyan is gratified to see that so many excellent professors are now teaching in China's conservatories. However, over time Hu Yongyan thinks their teaching philosophies need to change, particularly in regards to the strict demands they set upon their students.

"When I was a student, I usually practiced eight hours a day, for there was no TV or other entertainment. But now the philosophy needs to change. Asking anyone to practice for six hours a day is not realistic. People have their own lives."

Hu Yongyan also says that a good conservatory teaches students according to their individual personalities. Because some students are more creative, while others fixate on one area, professors have to adopt different modes of teaching. This may take the professors some time. In the meantime, Hu Yongyan thinks it is necessary to broaden the teaching bases in Chinese conservatories.