Five years ago, He Wei, who was traveling in Iceland, received an email from New York. The email came from The Juilliard School and asked him if he was interested in the Tianjin Juilliard School's overseas campus project. If he was interested, he could talk more deeply.
At that time, He Wei was working as a violin teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and head of the Strings Department. An e-mail that flew from the sky completely changed the trajectory of his life.
He began to contact Julia New York. In half a year, he flew from San Francisco to New York countless times, got in touch with Julia's board of directors and the teaching team, and fully understood Julia's school-running philosophy and teaching model.
"I was deeply moved by this project." He Wei resolutely ended his 22-year life in San Francisco and came to Tianjin with his wife.
In 2017, He Wei began to lead Tianjin Julia to expand its territory and take root in China together with Alexander Brose, the CEO and a long-time friend, as the artistic director and academic dean.
Five years later, on May 20, He Wei sent away 33 first graduate students from 8 countries with great emotion. At the end of June, his identity will also usher in new changes. He will take up the post of CEO and artistic director of Tianjin Juilliard, leading the academy to develop in many aspects, and Tianjin Juilliard will officially enter the 2.0 era.
"Tianjin Julia has taken root in China, and in the 2.0 era, I hope it will bear fruit soon." What changes will Tianjin Julia have in the future, how will it adapt to its new identity, and balance management, teaching, and performances work? We chatted with him.
Reporter: On May 20, Tianjin Julia held the first graduate graduation ceremony. In the concert the night before, you and the teachers performed on the same stage with the students, willing to stand behind the students as "green leaves". Do you feel very emotional to send away the first batch of students?
Why: The graduation ceremony of the first graduate students is the result of many years of hard work by many of us, and it is a big day that everyone is looking forward to. When this day comes, there are many sighs and some answers. We started school during the epidemic, and they graduated before the epidemic was over. This is very special for the first-time students.
In that concert, although everyone was very tired, the students and teachers were 100% devoted, and the passion for music really burst out. The concert was at 7:00 pm Beijing time and 7:00 am New York time. Joseph W. Polich, Dean Emeritus of Juilliard New York, also watched the live broadcast and called me excitedly to say that the students played with passion. , the style is also very mature, exactly the same as Julia's playing level.
Especially Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for Strings", there is no conductor, the students lead the front row, the teachers, including me, Li Weigang, Yu Xiang, Li Honggang, Nicolas Savalas, and double bass of the Shanghai Quartet Teacher Zhang Daxun was in the last row to help out.
During the rehearsal, we took turns standing in the conductor's position to listen to the balance of the whole band, and then put forward our own suggestions. It was really like a chamber music class. Last year, Mr. Li Weigang collaborated with the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra on the same piece, and he was the lead leader of the orchestra. This time, we were all standing in the last row, leaving the opportunity for the students to lead the band, and the grind was huge.
If there is a conductor, this work may be completed in two rehearsals. Four rehearsals may be required if the teachers are in the lead position. But in the absence of conductors and students leading the way, there may be eight rehearsals. Although it took more time, the enthusiasm of the students was completely mobilized, and the vitality presented by the entire orchestra was completely different. From mood, style to artistic appeal, it was possible to have a direct dialogue with the audience, no matter you Do not understand music.
After the performance, the chief led everyone to bow to the audience, then turned around and gave applause to the teachers standing in the last row, and we, in turn, gave applause to the students. Such a small detail is a culture of Tianjin Julia, a culture in which teachers and students respect and appreciate each other.
Reporter: What is the future of the first graduate students after graduation? Is it consistent with your previous expectations?
Why: In fact, when students graduate from any degree, it is the beginning of another period of study. This is exactly the concept of "lifelong learning" advocated by Tianjin Julia, whether you are working in an orchestra, continuing to study another degree, or choosing to start your own business. This is different from what we often say "graduation is employment".
Of course, when some of our students applied for the Tianjin Juilliard exam, their future goal was to seek a position in a professional orchestra. They were very targeted when participating in the band course, and they also got a lot of practical performance opportunities, and actively participated in major orchestras. interview.
Due to the epidemic, the exams of many orchestras have been delayed or even cancelled. Even so, we have received a lot of good news. Some students have received admissions from first-line professional orchestras in China before their studies are over. For example, viola student Zheng Zhixiu was admitted to the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, and cello student Jin Enxu was admitted to the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra also welcomes them after they graduate. Our students are still very competitive.
Chamber music students, such as the MILA Quartet, are relatively unique. When applying for the Tianjin Juilliard, three of the four had full-time jobs in the orchestra and resigned to pursue further studies. After two years of study, MILA's progress is obvious to all, and almost every concert is a transformation. So their perception of "employment" is different. They came to Tianjin to focus on chamber music and the development of the quartet. Now that they have graduated, they will participate in the teaching of the Tianjin Juilliard Prep, while continuing to study and compete together to develop their careers as professional quartets.
There are also students who choose to start a music business. Several graduates co-founded the Qingxin Chamber Orchestra. They are both the artistic director and the administrative director. They plan their own performance seasons and do their own promotion. This is an interesting new attempt.
Some students choose to continue their studies. For example, Wang Ziyi, a piano art director, decided to go to Germany to continue her studies, hoping to become a professional vocal art director. In addition, there are students who have sought teaching positions at other colleges and universities, such as horn student Guo Wei.
The future of graduates is full of flowers. They came to Tianjin Julia with different goals, but they all had the same philosophy, which is "lifelong learning". I am very satisfied that they can find where they want to go.
Reporter: The development of Chinese orchestras and theaters is now gaining momentum. Are there some students, especially foreign students, who came to Tianjin Juilliard because they saw opportunities in the Chinese market?
He Wei: Indeed, the domestic classical music market can be said to be booming, especially the construction of symphony orchestras and concert halls. Europe and the United States have actually entered a saturation period in this regard. Especially during the epidemic, we have seen many cases. Some orchestras declared bankruptcy, and some orchestras reduced operating expenses, or shortened the music season, and even turned the permanent conductor into a full-time conductor. Guest mode. It also leaves out some opportunities for recent graduates as well as young musicians. I haven't heard such news in China, on the contrary, some new bands have appeared.
The thriving Chinese market has naturally attracted international students. Some of their experiences in Europe and the United States made them cherish these opportunities in China even more, not only for job opportunities, but also for professional development. This became apparent when we were recruiting. Many international students wanted to come to China and Tianjin Juilliard for further study because they saw the great potential of classical music in China.
But at the same time, we also found that there is still a lot of room for development in the Chinese music market, such as chamber music. The ecology of chamber music is not very mature in China, and the audience is relatively limited. This also requires Tianjin Julia and our students to do a lot of work in the future.
Reporter: The university preparatory courses and graduate courses have recently opened new majors and hired new teachers. Please introduce the situation in this regard.
What: Two new majors have been introduced in the pre-university program: classical vocals and classical guitar, both of which are well-established majors at The New York Juilliard. We also recruited two very good teachers - mezzo-soprano singer Han Yinpei and classical guitar player Kuang Junhong. Tianjin Julia is committed to bringing the "authentic Julia experience". From the perspective of the professional setting of preparatory courses, we also hope to be richer and more perfect. We also saw that there are outstanding students in these two majors in China, and they also have great enthusiasm, which is beyond my imagination.
The graduate program has a new harp major, which is a major we have always wanted to join, especially in conjunction with the teaching of the orchestral performance major. In the music season of the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra, harp players are needed. In the first two seasons, because there are no harp majors and students, we also specially invited harp players to perform.
We had great support from Nancy Allen, a harp teacher at Julia in New York, in discussing the professional setting. Nancy Allen is also the principal harpist of the New York Philharmonic. She said that the harp is essential in the development of a band and in the presentation of many musical works. We started recruiting teachers and eventually found Huang Liya, a harp player.
Opening a new major has a lot to do with recruiting teachers. It is necessary to find suitable teachers. Therefore, the recruitment process for each of our teachers is very long. It takes about half a year from the release of the recruitment notice to the final completion of a series of recruitment processes. So we are very happy to recruit these three excellent teachers.
In addition, starting in September, some new teachers have joined the resident teaching team, including oboe player Liu Mingjia. At the age of 21, he became the youngest principal oboe in a professional orchestra in the United States. He was the principal oboe of the San Francisco Opera and was a professor of oboe at the Colburn School of Music in the United States. Tianjin Julia attaches great importance to the construction of resident teachers. They must not only agree with our teaching philosophy, but also must be good performers and teachers.
Tianjin Julia's professional setting is not catering to the market. Deciding which majors to open is still in line with our teaching philosophy. For example, we hope to bring an "authentic Juilliard experience", the two new majors of preparatory courses are available at New York Juilliard; another example, the new majors for graduate students are also in line with our teaching philosophy focusing on "ensemble art" , The professional setting of harp is to improve the system of orchestral performance.
Reporter: For the newly opened majors, including the harp major in the graduate program, and the vocal music and classical guitar majors in the preparatory program, how will the number of admissions be distributed?
What is: Tianjin Julia has no quota for admissions. We will consider the balance between each instrument according to the professional configuration. For example, in the major of chamber music performance, if there are three violin students and five good viola candidates at the same time, then we may consider the grouping problem of chamber music combination to balance the number of students of each instrument.
According to the current situation, the number of students enrolled in the third batch of graduate students should be similar to the previous two years. Affected by the epidemic, in the past two years, we have not been able to conduct global admissions lectures, and we cannot show Tianjin Juilliard's teachers and strengths through performances and master classes, so admissions are indeed difficult.
Reporter: In addition to graduate students, pre-university is also one of your teaching highlights. How is the enrollment situation this year?
Why: Enrollment in the matriculation is very good. Even with the impact of the epidemic, the number of applicants for preparatory courses has increased by more than 60% compared with last year. The preparatory admissions work has not yet been fully completed, but as far as the current situation is concerned, there has been a very big leap in quantity and quality. After joining the new class of students, the preparatory department can reach about 150 people. I think this is also the recognition that the preparatory school has received for three years. More and more people have learned about our college preparatory program, and they also agree with our school-running philosophy and teaching achievements.
But it has to be said that the most affected this year is also the preparatory teaching. Students come from all over the country, and every Saturday, they come to Tianjin for classes by plane and train from all over the world. Under the epidemic, most of the last six months have been online classes. This is also a big challenge for us next. During this period of coexistence with the epidemic, how to make preparatory education more ideal, so that children can get the experience we promised.
Reporter: Do you remember when Julia New York asked you to be the art director?
What it is: I was traveling in Iceland with two friends when I first got a job email from Julia New York. At the time, I was also a violin teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and chair of the strings department. I didn't quite understand the intention of the email. One of my friends in the same field was the CEO. He told me that they were asking me if I was interested in the Tianjin Julia project. If I was interested, I could talk more deeply.
As an overseas Chinese musician, I have heard about Julia's project in China for a long time, and I am also very interested to learn more about it and see how it has developed. I began to keep in constant contact with New York Juilliard. In half a year, I flew from San Francisco to New York countless times. I also got in touch with Juilliard's board of directors and faculty, and fully understood New York Juilliard's school-running philosophy and teaching model.
All along, I have colleagues and students who graduated from Juilliard, but I have never had direct communication with Juilliard. The more I learned about the project, the more meaningful it became to me. Although I was not in the job search state, I was deeply moved by this project. This platform can bring excellent school-running ideas from abroad to China, and can also complete some Sino-US exchange projects that I originally wanted to do. So, I resolutely ended my 22-year life in San Francisco and came to Tianjin with my wife.
Reporter: You are about to take over as the CEO of Tianjin Julia. How will your future work change?
He Wei: I will officially take up the post of CEO and art director at the end of June, and the handover of work is basically completed.
In 2017, Alexander Brose and I came to Tianjin to start preparations for Tianjin Julia. At the time, he was the CEO and I was the artistic director and academic dean. I am mainly responsible for submitting the school's approval to the Ministry of Education, improving the setting of postgraduate courses, and promoting the global recruitment of the teaching team.
When we first arrived in Tianjin, there were four of us, and the campus was still a desolate construction site. Tianjin Juilliard is Juilliard's first overseas campus, and it is also China's first cooperative education institution that grants a master's degree in performing arts in the United States. Many of the problems we encountered were impossible to learn from. Almost everything we do is a new attempt, and it also lays a good foundation for Tianjin Julia's later development.
That experience was invaluable and laid a solid foundation for me today as CEO and Art Director five years later. Art director is not a new role for me, and I have always been involved and involved in all aspects of being a CEO. During Bu Yiming's tenure, the college has established a very good institutional culture. Next, we will continue to improve internal management, improve operational efficiency, expand the understanding and awareness of Tianjin Juilliard from the outside world, especially in non-professional fields, and let our faculty members Workers and students better understand and agree with the teaching philosophy and school purpose of the college.
As the CEO of Tianjin Julia 2.0 era, I hope to establish a good ecosystem and system for Tianjin Julia's deep cultivation and development in China. Including seeking breakthroughs in cooperative school-running policies, creating more practical performance opportunities for students, increasing inter-school exchanges and cooperation with other performance groups, especially planning global admissions, performances and teaching exchange activities in the post-epidemic period. At the same time, some new programs, including public education and continuing education programs, will be launched to benefit more non-professionals at Tianjin Juilliard.
Tianjin Julia has already taken root in China, in the 2.0 era, I hope it will blossom and bear fruit soon.
Reporter: You are a teacher who is fighting in the front line of education and a performer who is active in the front line of performance. After you become the CEO, how will you balance management, teaching and performance in the future?
He Wei: In fact, my teaching and performance work have been reduced in the past two years. In the next stage of work, there may be some adjustments. As a professional performer, I still hope to maintain a state of continuous teaching and performance. This is important not only to me personally, but also to the school.
On the evening of May 19th, we held a concert to celebrate the end of the 2022 academic year, and the next day was the graduation ceremony of the first graduate students. It was the end of the term, very busy, so busy, I decided to participate in the rehearsal and performance of this concert. My colleagues and I pledged to rehearse with students for two or three hours a day. It was very rewarding and rewarding to experience the last concert with the first graduate students as they were about to leave the school.
It's not just a token value, it also allows me to get some adjustment and balance from the administrative work. In the classroom and on stage, I seem to be using a completely different brain, and rehearsing for two hours a day makes me more awake and more energetic. At the same time, as a manager, walking into the front line of teaching and performance also allows me to think from a professional perspective, how to support and meet the needs of art and teaching in administrative work.
I like a quote from Elon Musk: "I'd rather go to the production line to see more than to hold too many meetings." I hope that I often have professional exchanges with teachers and students, and listen to the orchestra You can have the most timely and direct feeling of the school's artistic level by watching the performance of chamber music. I hope to find a balance between the CEO and the art director, and strive to improve the level and efficiency of the operation and management of the entire team while continuing to pursue artistic standards.
At that time, He Wei was working as a violin teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and head of the Strings Department. An e-mail that flew from the sky completely changed the trajectory of his life.
He began to contact Julia New York. In half a year, he flew from San Francisco to New York countless times, got in touch with Julia's board of directors and the teaching team, and fully understood Julia's school-running philosophy and teaching model.
"I was deeply moved by this project." He Wei resolutely ended his 22-year life in San Francisco and came to Tianjin with his wife.
In 2017, He Wei began to lead Tianjin Julia to expand its territory and take root in China together with Alexander Brose, the CEO and a long-time friend, as the artistic director and academic dean.
Five years later, on May 20, He Wei sent away 33 first graduate students from 8 countries with great emotion. At the end of June, his identity will also usher in new changes. He will take up the post of CEO and artistic director of Tianjin Juilliard, leading the academy to develop in many aspects, and Tianjin Juilliard will officially enter the 2.0 era.
"Tianjin Julia has taken root in China, and in the 2.0 era, I hope it will bear fruit soon." What changes will Tianjin Julia have in the future, how will it adapt to its new identity, and balance management, teaching, and performances work? We chatted with him.
for what
China's booming classical music market attracts international studentsReporter: On May 20, Tianjin Julia held the first graduate graduation ceremony. In the concert the night before, you and the teachers performed on the same stage with the students, willing to stand behind the students as "green leaves". Do you feel very emotional to send away the first batch of students?
Why: The graduation ceremony of the first graduate students is the result of many years of hard work by many of us, and it is a big day that everyone is looking forward to. When this day comes, there are many sighs and some answers. We started school during the epidemic, and they graduated before the epidemic was over. This is very special for the first-time students.
In that concert, although everyone was very tired, the students and teachers were 100% devoted, and the passion for music really burst out. The concert was at 7:00 pm Beijing time and 7:00 am New York time. Joseph W. Polich, Dean Emeritus of Juilliard New York, also watched the live broadcast and called me excitedly to say that the students played with passion. , the style is also very mature, exactly the same as Julia's playing level.
Especially Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for Strings", there is no conductor, the students lead the front row, the teachers, including me, Li Weigang, Yu Xiang, Li Honggang, Nicolas Savalas, and double bass of the Shanghai Quartet Teacher Zhang Daxun was in the last row to help out.
During the rehearsal, we took turns standing in the conductor's position to listen to the balance of the whole band, and then put forward our own suggestions. It was really like a chamber music class. Last year, Mr. Li Weigang collaborated with the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra on the same piece, and he was the lead leader of the orchestra. This time, we were all standing in the last row, leaving the opportunity for the students to lead the band, and the grind was huge.
If there is a conductor, this work may be completed in two rehearsals. Four rehearsals may be required if the teachers are in the lead position. But in the absence of conductors and students leading the way, there may be eight rehearsals. Although it took more time, the enthusiasm of the students was completely mobilized, and the vitality presented by the entire orchestra was completely different. From mood, style to artistic appeal, it was possible to have a direct dialogue with the audience, no matter you Do not understand music.
After the performance, the chief led everyone to bow to the audience, then turned around and gave applause to the teachers standing in the last row, and we, in turn, gave applause to the students. Such a small detail is a culture of Tianjin Julia, a culture in which teachers and students respect and appreciate each other.
Reporter: What is the future of the first graduate students after graduation? Is it consistent with your previous expectations?
Why: In fact, when students graduate from any degree, it is the beginning of another period of study. This is exactly the concept of "lifelong learning" advocated by Tianjin Julia, whether you are working in an orchestra, continuing to study another degree, or choosing to start your own business. This is different from what we often say "graduation is employment".
Of course, when some of our students applied for the Tianjin Juilliard exam, their future goal was to seek a position in a professional orchestra. They were very targeted when participating in the band course, and they also got a lot of practical performance opportunities, and actively participated in major orchestras. interview.
Due to the epidemic, the exams of many orchestras have been delayed or even cancelled. Even so, we have received a lot of good news. Some students have received admissions from first-line professional orchestras in China before their studies are over. For example, viola student Zheng Zhixiu was admitted to the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, and cello student Jin Enxu was admitted to the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra also welcomes them after they graduate. Our students are still very competitive.
Chamber music students, such as the MILA Quartet, are relatively unique. When applying for the Tianjin Juilliard, three of the four had full-time jobs in the orchestra and resigned to pursue further studies. After two years of study, MILA's progress is obvious to all, and almost every concert is a transformation. So their perception of "employment" is different. They came to Tianjin to focus on chamber music and the development of the quartet. Now that they have graduated, they will participate in the teaching of the Tianjin Juilliard Prep, while continuing to study and compete together to develop their careers as professional quartets.
There are also students who choose to start a music business. Several graduates co-founded the Qingxin Chamber Orchestra. They are both the artistic director and the administrative director. They plan their own performance seasons and do their own promotion. This is an interesting new attempt.
Some students choose to continue their studies. For example, Wang Ziyi, a piano art director, decided to go to Germany to continue her studies, hoping to become a professional vocal art director. In addition, there are students who have sought teaching positions at other colleges and universities, such as horn student Guo Wei.
The future of graduates is full of flowers. They came to Tianjin Julia with different goals, but they all had the same philosophy, which is "lifelong learning". I am very satisfied that they can find where they want to go.
Reporter: The development of Chinese orchestras and theaters is now gaining momentum. Are there some students, especially foreign students, who came to Tianjin Juilliard because they saw opportunities in the Chinese market?
He Wei: Indeed, the domestic classical music market can be said to be booming, especially the construction of symphony orchestras and concert halls. Europe and the United States have actually entered a saturation period in this regard. Especially during the epidemic, we have seen many cases. Some orchestras declared bankruptcy, and some orchestras reduced operating expenses, or shortened the music season, and even turned the permanent conductor into a full-time conductor. Guest mode. It also leaves out some opportunities for recent graduates as well as young musicians. I haven't heard such news in China, on the contrary, some new bands have appeared.
The thriving Chinese market has naturally attracted international students. Some of their experiences in Europe and the United States made them cherish these opportunities in China even more, not only for job opportunities, but also for professional development. This became apparent when we were recruiting. Many international students wanted to come to China and Tianjin Juilliard for further study because they saw the great potential of classical music in China.
But at the same time, we also found that there is still a lot of room for development in the Chinese music market, such as chamber music. The ecology of chamber music is not very mature in China, and the audience is relatively limited. This also requires Tianjin Julia and our students to do a lot of work in the future.
The first postgraduate graduates, He Wei took a photo with the graduates
The end of the 2022 school year celebration concert, why are students willing to be "green leaves"
Not catering to the market, the new major should bring the original Julia experienceReporter: The university preparatory courses and graduate courses have recently opened new majors and hired new teachers. Please introduce the situation in this regard.
What: Two new majors have been introduced in the pre-university program: classical vocals and classical guitar, both of which are well-established majors at The New York Juilliard. We also recruited two very good teachers - mezzo-soprano singer Han Yinpei and classical guitar player Kuang Junhong. Tianjin Julia is committed to bringing the "authentic Julia experience". From the perspective of the professional setting of preparatory courses, we also hope to be richer and more perfect. We also saw that there are outstanding students in these two majors in China, and they also have great enthusiasm, which is beyond my imagination.
The graduate program has a new harp major, which is a major we have always wanted to join, especially in conjunction with the teaching of the orchestral performance major. In the music season of the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra, harp players are needed. In the first two seasons, because there are no harp majors and students, we also specially invited harp players to perform.
We had great support from Nancy Allen, a harp teacher at Julia in New York, in discussing the professional setting. Nancy Allen is also the principal harpist of the New York Philharmonic. She said that the harp is essential in the development of a band and in the presentation of many musical works. We started recruiting teachers and eventually found Huang Liya, a harp player.
Opening a new major has a lot to do with recruiting teachers. It is necessary to find suitable teachers. Therefore, the recruitment process for each of our teachers is very long. It takes about half a year from the release of the recruitment notice to the final completion of a series of recruitment processes. So we are very happy to recruit these three excellent teachers.
In addition, starting in September, some new teachers have joined the resident teaching team, including oboe player Liu Mingjia. At the age of 21, he became the youngest principal oboe in a professional orchestra in the United States. He was the principal oboe of the San Francisco Opera and was a professor of oboe at the Colburn School of Music in the United States. Tianjin Julia attaches great importance to the construction of resident teachers. They must not only agree with our teaching philosophy, but also must be good performers and teachers.
Tianjin Julia's professional setting is not catering to the market. Deciding which majors to open is still in line with our teaching philosophy. For example, we hope to bring an "authentic Juilliard experience", the two new majors of preparatory courses are available at New York Juilliard; another example, the new majors for graduate students are also in line with our teaching philosophy focusing on "ensemble art" , The professional setting of harp is to improve the system of orchestral performance.
Reporter: For the newly opened majors, including the harp major in the graduate program, and the vocal music and classical guitar majors in the preparatory program, how will the number of admissions be distributed?
What is: Tianjin Julia has no quota for admissions. We will consider the balance between each instrument according to the professional configuration. For example, in the major of chamber music performance, if there are three violin students and five good viola candidates at the same time, then we may consider the grouping problem of chamber music combination to balance the number of students of each instrument.
According to the current situation, the number of students enrolled in the third batch of graduate students should be similar to the previous two years. Affected by the epidemic, in the past two years, we have not been able to conduct global admissions lectures, and we cannot show Tianjin Juilliard's teachers and strengths through performances and master classes, so admissions are indeed difficult.
Reporter: In addition to graduate students, pre-university is also one of your teaching highlights. How is the enrollment situation this year?
Why: Enrollment in the matriculation is very good. Even with the impact of the epidemic, the number of applicants for preparatory courses has increased by more than 60% compared with last year. The preparatory admissions work has not yet been fully completed, but as far as the current situation is concerned, there has been a very big leap in quantity and quality. After joining the new class of students, the preparatory department can reach about 150 people. I think this is also the recognition that the preparatory school has received for three years. More and more people have learned about our college preparatory program, and they also agree with our school-running philosophy and teaching achievements.
But it has to be said that the most affected this year is also the preparatory teaching. Students come from all over the country, and every Saturday, they come to Tianjin for classes by plane and train from all over the world. Under the epidemic, most of the last six months have been online classes. This is also a big challenge for us next. During this period of coexistence with the epidemic, how to make preparatory education more ideal, so that children can get the experience we promised.
Why not only has management work, but also struggles in the front line of teaching and performance
Why rehearse with students
As CEO, dynamic balance management, teaching, performance workReporter: Do you remember when Julia New York asked you to be the art director?
What it is: I was traveling in Iceland with two friends when I first got a job email from Julia New York. At the time, I was also a violin teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and chair of the strings department. I didn't quite understand the intention of the email. One of my friends in the same field was the CEO. He told me that they were asking me if I was interested in the Tianjin Julia project. If I was interested, I could talk more deeply.
As an overseas Chinese musician, I have heard about Julia's project in China for a long time, and I am also very interested to learn more about it and see how it has developed. I began to keep in constant contact with New York Juilliard. In half a year, I flew from San Francisco to New York countless times. I also got in touch with Juilliard's board of directors and faculty, and fully understood New York Juilliard's school-running philosophy and teaching model.
All along, I have colleagues and students who graduated from Juilliard, but I have never had direct communication with Juilliard. The more I learned about the project, the more meaningful it became to me. Although I was not in the job search state, I was deeply moved by this project. This platform can bring excellent school-running ideas from abroad to China, and can also complete some Sino-US exchange projects that I originally wanted to do. So, I resolutely ended my 22-year life in San Francisco and came to Tianjin with my wife.
Reporter: You are about to take over as the CEO of Tianjin Julia. How will your future work change?
He Wei: I will officially take up the post of CEO and art director at the end of June, and the handover of work is basically completed.
In 2017, Alexander Brose and I came to Tianjin to start preparations for Tianjin Julia. At the time, he was the CEO and I was the artistic director and academic dean. I am mainly responsible for submitting the school's approval to the Ministry of Education, improving the setting of postgraduate courses, and promoting the global recruitment of the teaching team.
When we first arrived in Tianjin, there were four of us, and the campus was still a desolate construction site. Tianjin Juilliard is Juilliard's first overseas campus, and it is also China's first cooperative education institution that grants a master's degree in performing arts in the United States. Many of the problems we encountered were impossible to learn from. Almost everything we do is a new attempt, and it also lays a good foundation for Tianjin Julia's later development.
That experience was invaluable and laid a solid foundation for me today as CEO and Art Director five years later. Art director is not a new role for me, and I have always been involved and involved in all aspects of being a CEO. During Bu Yiming's tenure, the college has established a very good institutional culture. Next, we will continue to improve internal management, improve operational efficiency, expand the understanding and awareness of Tianjin Juilliard from the outside world, especially in non-professional fields, and let our faculty members Workers and students better understand and agree with the teaching philosophy and school purpose of the college.
As the CEO of Tianjin Julia 2.0 era, I hope to establish a good ecosystem and system for Tianjin Julia's deep cultivation and development in China. Including seeking breakthroughs in cooperative school-running policies, creating more practical performance opportunities for students, increasing inter-school exchanges and cooperation with other performance groups, especially planning global admissions, performances and teaching exchange activities in the post-epidemic period. At the same time, some new programs, including public education and continuing education programs, will be launched to benefit more non-professionals at Tianjin Juilliard.
Tianjin Julia has already taken root in China, in the 2.0 era, I hope it will blossom and bear fruit soon.
Reporter: You are a teacher who is fighting in the front line of education and a performer who is active in the front line of performance. After you become the CEO, how will you balance management, teaching and performance in the future?
He Wei: In fact, my teaching and performance work have been reduced in the past two years. In the next stage of work, there may be some adjustments. As a professional performer, I still hope to maintain a state of continuous teaching and performance. This is important not only to me personally, but also to the school.
On the evening of May 19th, we held a concert to celebrate the end of the 2022 academic year, and the next day was the graduation ceremony of the first graduate students. It was the end of the term, very busy, so busy, I decided to participate in the rehearsal and performance of this concert. My colleagues and I pledged to rehearse with students for two or three hours a day. It was very rewarding and rewarding to experience the last concert with the first graduate students as they were about to leave the school.
It's not just a token value, it also allows me to get some adjustment and balance from the administrative work. In the classroom and on stage, I seem to be using a completely different brain, and rehearsing for two hours a day makes me more awake and more energetic. At the same time, as a manager, walking into the front line of teaching and performance also allows me to think from a professional perspective, how to support and meet the needs of art and teaching in administrative work.
I like a quote from Elon Musk: "I'd rather go to the production line to see more than to hold too many meetings." I hope that I often have professional exchanges with teachers and students, and listen to the orchestra You can have the most timely and direct feeling of the school's artistic level by watching the performance of chamber music. I hope to find a balance between the CEO and the art director, and strive to improve the level and efficiency of the operation and management of the entire team while continuing to pursue artistic standards.
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