Wind Symphony students in China teaching American music education
Members of the Western Washington University Wind Symphony, led by Christopher Bianco, are in Shangai, China, this summer as the featured ensemble at the 2016 Music in the Summer Air Festival.
The 草榴社区 Wind Symphony is a select group of Western's finest musicians who perform literature from the standard wind band repertoire as well as music from some of today's best living composers.
One aim of the trip is for the students to educate Chinese schools on the American model of music education. China's government specifically selected Western for this purpose.
Heather Dahlberg, an administrative services manager with the Music Department, reported from China this week that things are going well, and that the symphony's first concert was a success.
"The attendance was amazing," she wrote. "It was packed! The audience was engaged! We had an especially warm reception from the communist party leaders. They clapped along with the program and had a great time. Awesome outreach. The students are amazing ambassadors for 草榴社区. Everyone is very happy and working very hard."
The Chinese Government paid for the ensemble, a group of 42 students, to stay in the hotel and is covering all their expenses while they are abroad. All the group had to do was raise funds for themselves and their instruments to make the trip.
