Introduction to the Department of Music

The Department of Music is committed to a demand-oriented approach, aiming to cultivate high-quality interdisciplinary talent. Guided by the teaching philosophy of “strengthening foundations, cultivating capabilities, and serving society”, the Department prioritizes the development of students’ practical skills. By implementing personalized training driven by specific professional tracks and adhering to a diversified, multi-dimensional talent training model, the Department has established a teaching system characterized by “internationalized curriculum, practical theoretical teaching, holistic quality education, and routine artistic practice”. The Department is dedicated to training high-quality interdisciplinary professionals capable of engaging in stage performance, music education, and music research.

History and Development

· 1999: The establishment of the Department of Music and Performance was approved.

· 2000: In September, the Musicology major began enrolling students in Music, Dance, and Performance. At that time, it was affiliated with the School of Arts, Nanchang University.

· 2003: It became affiliated with the School of Art and Design, Nanchang University.

· 2006: It separated from the Department of Music and Performance to establish an independent Department of Music.

· 2022: It became affiliated with the School of Arts, Nanchang University.

Education and Teaching

The Department of Music offers a major in Musicology, comprising three distinct tracks: Stage Performance & Music Engineering, Music Education, and Collaborative Piano. There are currently over 600 undergraduate students enrolled.

· Faculty: The Department features 59 full-time teachers, including 5 full professors, 2 doctoral supervisors, 21 associate professors, and 22 master’s supervisors. Renowned music experts such as Chen Guoquan, Niu Jiandang, Xin Di, Li Songwen, and Xu Ximao serve as long-term distinguished professors. The faculty also includes one member of the Ministry of Education’s Teaching Steering Committee, one expert receiving the “Special Allowance of the State Council”, one selected for the Provincial “Four Batches” Talent Project and recognized as a Cultural Celebrity, and one provincial “Gold Medal Young Teacher”. Currently, 19 faculty members hold doctoral degrees and 42 possess master’s degrees.

· Facilities: The Department is equipped with over 120 practice rooms and 16 small-to-medium-sized rehearsal halls. Facilities also include a concert hall, digital piano classrooms, music production and recording studios, and MIDI music classrooms.

· Exchange and Cooperation: The Department has engaged in exchanges with international institutions such as Trossingen University of Music (Germany), Conservatorio di Musica “Tito Schipa” di Lecce (Italy), the University of South Carolina (USA), Prokofiev State Academy of Music (Ukraine), and Hoseo University (South Korea). It has also established cooperative relationships with leading domestic institutions like the Chinese National Academy of Arts, the Central Conservatory of Music, the China Conservatory of Music, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Research and Discipline Development

The Department currently offers a doctoral program in Arts Management (second-level discipline), a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in Music, and an academic master’s program in Art Theory (first-level discipline). The undergraduate major has been approved as Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Major. There are currently over 60 graduate students enrolled.

Adhering to the educational philosophy of “combining teaching with practice and focusing on cultivating students’ practical abilities”, the Department aligns instruction with social needs to foster students’ comprehensive professional capabilities. Research directions are driven by professional practice processes and real-world tasks.

In recent years, the Department has undertaken 4 projects funded by the National Social Science Fund, National Arts Fund, and National Literature and Arts Fund, as well as over 60 provincial and ministerial-level key and general projects. It has secured over 8 million RMB in funding for horizontal (industry-sponsored) projects. The Department has published 58 papers in CSSCI source journals and Peking University Core Journals as well as 42 academic monographs, and edited over 30 textbooks.

Performances and Exhibitions

The Department maintains several student ensembles, including a symphony orchestra, a choir, a traditional Chinese orchestra, a wind band, and a chamber orchestra. These groups actively participate in major national and provincial performance events. They have organized events such as “High Art into the Community” and “High Art into Campus” in Jiangxi Province, as well as the “Rhyme of Qianhu” series at Nanchang University. The “Rhyme of Qianhu” project received the Second Prize for “Excellent Achievements in University Campus Culture Construction” from the Ministry of Education. Student groups have traveled to countries including Germany, the United States, France, South Korea, Mexico, and Indonesia for international performances and competitions.

· Awards and Honors: Faculty and students have won over a hundred provincial awards and over 40 national-level awards, including the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee’s “Five-One Project” Award, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Wenhua Award, and awards at the China International College Students’ “Internet+” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, the National College Student E-commerce “Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship” Challenge, and the National College Student Art Performance. Additionally, faculty and students have participated in 26 national-level performances, including the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Their original works have been staged at China’s premier performing arts venues.