East Meets West concert series to feature violist Ling Yu, violinist Xun Sun

Alfred University’s Confucius Institute on Wednesday, July 28, will host the sixth “East Meets West” monthly virtual concert and forum at 8 pm, featuring violist Ling Yu; her husband, conductor and violinist Xun Sun; and host Daisy Wu, Director of the Institute at Alfred University.

Ling Yu is adjunct viola professor in the Music Department of Southern Utah University and one of the founders of SUU’s Halversen Faculty String Quartet. She has performed as a guest soloist with the Orchestra of Southern Utah, one of the state’s finest community orchestras.

Yu earned her master’s degree in music performance at the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri- Kansas City and is currently a candidate for a doctorate degree in Musical Arts at the University of Utah. As part of her doctoral work, she recently performed the viola concerto Xian Shi, by Dr. Chen Yi, an “East Meets West” guest in June.

Dr. Xun Sun began formal violin training at Wuhan Conservatory of Music when he was 11 years old through the Chinese government's scholarship program for exceptional music students. He currently serves as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Activities at SUU. He has won several awards for excellence in teaching and has served as Music Director and Conductor of the Orchestra of Southern Utah since 2003. Additionally, he has served as guest conductor for many other orchestras in China and around the world.

He received Master's degrees in Instrumental Conducting and Violin Performance from the Conservatory of UMKC and earned his Doctorate in Music Education from Teachers College of Columbia University in New York City. His dissertation, entitled "The Design and Implementation of a Constructivist and Person-Centered Teaching Strategy of Working with College Students Learning to Conduct," developed a pedagogical rationale for teaching music conducting.

The East Meets West series is organized by CIAU and co-sponsored by the Performing Arts Division of Alfred University, the Music Department of China University of Geosciences, the Almond 20th Century Club Library, the Cuba Circulating Library, the Hornell Public Library, the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville, and the Wimodaughsian Library of Canisteo.