The symposium will report on recent research in the areas of Asian and American music by scholars from the U.S. and elsewhere. It assembles eight of Bell Yung’s former students to celebrate his 31 years of teaching at the University of Pittsburgh, together with four of his current students. The presentations focus on historical sources, musical genres, performance practices, musicians, and musical communities of China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the U.S. The research invokes diverse theories and methodologies, and explores issues of gender and ethnicity, politics and economics, war and patriotism, the environment, trans-national interaction and cross-cultural translation, and the “magic” of a musical performance. Acknowledging one of Yung’s interests beyond Asia, one paper investigates the music philosopher Charles Seeger’s thoughts on music semiotics. The papers are scheduled in reverse chronological order into four sessions according to the speaker’s year of graduation, beginning with current students.

View the complete Symposium Schedule.

The symposium is organized and generously funded by the Music Department, with additional funding support from The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, the Asian Studies Center, the China Council, and the Japan Iron and Steel Federation Endowment Fund. Thanks are due to the following: Mathew Rosenblum, N. John Cooper, James Cook, Thomas Rawski, Katy Carlitz, Dorothy Shallenberger, Joan McDonald, Rose Booth, Phil Thompson, Lee Tong Soon, and Helen Rees.