CityU Arts Festival showcases spirit of the Confucian ‘Six Arts’

 

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 “Fly with Rhythms”, the opening concert kicked off CityU Arts Festival.

 

Distinguished cellist Mr Ray Wang and a group of  exciting young musicians performed famed classical masterpieces at “Fly with Rhythms”, the opening concert for the CityU Arts Festival 2021 at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 8 October.

Despite the rain and wind, more than 200 arts lover from CityU and the public enjoyed a melodious evening that signalled the start the festival, which will take place from 8 October to 3 November.

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President Kuo said that the University encourages the students to “immerse themselves in arts”.

 

Professor Way Kuo, CityU President, said in his welcoming address that CityU advocated “excellence in both academics and sports”, encouraging students to “immerse themselves in arts”.

He urged high-flying students to equip themselves not only with mathematical knowledge but also athletics and music skills, noting that Confucius had defined the Six Arts as rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and arithmetic.

“Encouraging our students’ all-round development is one of the reasons CityU leads in international academic rankings. I hope all of you fly with the rhythms tonight,” he said, noting that the festival, now in its seventh year, was a great a platform for showcasing our students’ gifts in different kinds of arts.

Professor Kuo also joked that current international rankings didn’t reflect fully CityU’s true strengths since our campus includes highly innovative scientists and an Olympic bronze medalist as well as virtuosity in music and the arts.

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Guests attending the opening ceremony and pianist Ms Shelley Ng (middle).

 

After the orchestra had completed its programme, Mr Wang’s ensemble answered requests from the enthusiastic audience and improvised the song Perfect by British pop singer Ed Sheeran. Following that, the CityU Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Ms Shelley Ng performed deeply moving pieces by Chopin.

Guests attending the opening ceremony included Professor Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Student Affairs); Professor Henry Chung Shu-hung, Dean of Students; Dr Tim Wong Chi-tim, Director of Student Development Services; Professor Thomas Ng Shiu-tong, Head of the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering; Dr Wesley Curtis, Head of the Chan Feng Men-ling Chan Shuk-lin Language Centre, and Professor Jane Lu Wenzhen, Head of the Department of Management.

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This year audiences will be treated to a journey through time and space. The upcoming Broadway musical West Side Story will transport audiences back to 1950s New York and the Chinese modern dance performance He Dancing with the World from the “Wu Ju” series by choreographer Miranda Chin draws on martial arts, Tai Chi, the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, the I Ching and the Bagua to promote core Chinese values of unity between humans and universe.

Four talented vocalists will take audiences on a unique musical voyage with eastern and western songs at the concert “Music Voyage with Bel Canto” and the festival will draw to a perfect close with a recital of Chinese poetry and musical pieces by the renowned voice actor Mr Zhang Miao-yang, the CityU Chinese Orchestra, and the City Choir. 

Organised by CityU Cultural and Sports Committee since 2015, the CityU Arts Festival fosters an artistic and cultural ambience on campus, bringing together CityU students and professional artists to create a hub for the arts.

For programme details, please visit: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/ctspc/af21_22.shtml

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