As part of its international collaboration agreements, the Liceu Conservatory Foundation welcomed a delegation from the Shanghai Conservatory on 21 and 22 September as part of a series of academic activities aimed at strengthening institutional collaboration between the two organisations. During the two-day visit, students and teachers took part in masterclasses, activities and inter-departmental exchange meetings. The visit culminated in a joint jam session involving teaching staff and students from both institutions.
The delegation, led by Mr Xu Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Conservatory, and Ms MA Xiao Ming, Deputy Director of the International Office, was received by Ms Pilar Fernández Bozal, Acting Director General of the Liceu Conservatory, Prof. Víctor Estapé, Academic Director, and Prof. Sergi Vergés, Head of the Department of Jazz and Modern Music.
On Monday 21 September, lecturers from the Shanghai Conservatory gave a masterclass on jazz and traditional Chinese music, led by Lecturers Li Xiaochuan (trumpet), Liu Wenwen (suona, a traditional Chinese instrument) and Zhang Xiongguan (guitar), in which they highlighted the characteristics of the fusion of the suona with the language of jazz.
On Tuesday 22 September, the Live Room hosted a very special jam session, featuring an ensemble comprising teachers from the Shanghai Conservatory – Li Xiaochuan, Zhang Xiongguan and Zhu Haiming (bass) – and teachers from the Liceu Conservatory – Víctor de Diego (saxophone), Alex Fortuny (guitar), Rai Paz (guitar), Christoph Mallinger (violin) and Gonzalo del Val (drums), who then handed over to the students from Shanghai: Bao Yichuan (piano and keyboards), Miao Yutian (drums), Sun Yuanlong (trumpet), Yan Chen (saxophone) and Chen Yan (drums). The jam session continued with the participation of various students and teachers from the Liceu Conservatory.
Founded in 1927, the Shanghai Conservatory is one of China’s most prestigious music education institutions. This meeting took place as part of the activities organised under the collaboration agreement that the Liceu Conservatory Foundation and the Shanghai Conservatory have maintained for several years, an agreement that has been consolidated through various visits and exchanges, masterclasses and a range of activities in both cities. During the visit, new projects and activities were outlined with the aim of continuing to strengthen ties and partnerships.
The Liceu Conservatory is hosting an exchange student from the Shanghai Conservatory for the 2026–27 academic year for the first time, in what is intended to be the start of a series of student exchanges between the two institutions.