Juilliard Expands Asian Presence With The Tianjin Juilliard School
In the presence of the First Lady of China, Mme. Peng Liyuan, Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi recently announced plans for The Tianjin Juilliard School, a key milestone in Juilliard’s multifaceted expansion in Asia.
In addition to offering a U.S.-accredited master’s degree—a first for any performing arts institution in China—The Tianjin Juilliard School will be open to a range of arts enthusiasts, with instrumental lessons for people of all ages and abilities, weekly public performances, and an interactive exhibit space. The new school is anticipated to open in 2018 in a new facility designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the same firm responsible for the 2006-2009 expansion of Juilliard’s iconic New York home.
The announcement of plans for the new school represent the latest component of Juilliard’s global strategy to make its artistic and educational expertise accessible to a wider public. Earlier this year, Juilliard announced the development of arts curricula for students in grades K-12. In addition, Juilliard Open Studios, an app for iPhone and iPad, was released internationally in May in English and in simplified and traditional Chinese.
“I believe that maintaining Juilliard’s prominence in the global performing arts landscape will depend on a robust series of programs to engage with a wide range of learners in different parts of the world,” President Polisi said. “Together with the roots we will build in Tianjin, our educational apps for the consumer market, our program for primary and secondary school students, and future digital products are all part of this strategy. All of these programs are structured in a way that not only will preserve, support, and enhance the world-class performing arts education that Juilliard offers in New York, but provide new kinds of work for our alumni, build communities of support around the world, open access to new pools of talent, and position Juilliard as a leader in global performing arts education.”
Recent preliminary approval of a graduate degree program from China’s Ministry of Education paves the way for Juilliard and its partners — the Tianjin Conservatory of Music, the Tianjin Binhai New Area CBD Administrative Commission, and the Tianjin Innovative Finance Investment Company (TIFI)— to develop the new facility in Tianjin. Pending final approval, The Tianjin Juilliard School will comprise multiple components: a graduate program offering a Master of Music degree from Juilliard in the areas of orchestral performance, chamber music performance, and collaborative piano; a pre-college program; an instrumental training program; adult education; and public performances and exhibits.
As part of the pre-opening development work, Juilliard will initiate a program to bring members of its faculty to China for master classes and performances at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music and at other Chinese conservatories as often as eight times per year.
The Juilliard School, founded in 1905, is a world leader in performing arts education. Juilliard’s mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens. Located at Lincoln Center in New York City, Juilliard offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, drama, and music (classical, jazz, historical performance, and vocal arts). Currently more than 800 artists from 44 states and 42 countries are enrolled at The Juilliard School. Beyond its New York campus, Juilliard is defining new directions in global performing arts education for a range of learners and enthusiasts through The Tianjin Juilliard School, K-12 educational curricula, and an increasing array of digital education products through its Juilliard/Digital brand.
Diller Scofidio + Renfro is an interdisciplinary design studio that integrates architecture, the visual arts, and the performing arts. The firm established its identity through theoretical and self-generated projects before coming to international prominence through projects such as Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the recently opened Broad Museum in Los Angeles. For their commitment to merging art, architecture, and culture, founding partners Diller and Scofidio were the first in architecture to be recognized with the MacArthur Foundation “genius” award. Projects opening in 2016 include the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive at the University of California, Berkeley; the Columbia University Medical Education Tower in New York City; the Dissona Live-Work Complex in Dongguan, China; and the Museum of Image & Sound on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.#
