On May 27th 2017, the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra delegation visited ShanghaiTech and met with President Jiang Mianheng. Coming off a successful performance at Shanghai Oriental Arts Centeron the previous night, Allison Vulgamore, President and CEO, Ryan Fleur, Executive VP of Orchestra Advancement, Leslie Behur, Executive Assistant to the President and CEO and Freda Wang, Senior Adviser joined the conversation with President Jiang to discuss the important role PhilOrch playsinthe community, the joint musical professional training program, andfuture planning of ShanghaiTech's School of Creative Arts.
President Jiang introduced the various innovative attempts of ShanghaiTech to combine the academics and practical application, technologies and management, as well as technologies and arts, in the forms of both degree programs and certificate programs. President Jiang pointed out that as the expansion of performing arts facilities reflected the rising demand from the market, it was of increasing importance to empower the talents, to better the content, and to establish a vibrant life cycle by creating an organic bond between the professional and the community. Orchestra President Vulgamore and VP Ryan Fleur echoed the vision of ShanghaiTech University, by sharing the experience of Philadelphia Orchestra in terms of designing layered engagement programs and cultivating niche markets. As one of the "Big Five" American orchestras, the Philadelphia Orcestra has achieved several breakthroughs in developing interactive applications of classical music, using big data as marketing tools, and developing interdisciplinary ventures like music therapy.
After the meeting, President Jiang and Provost Yin Jie lead a tour around the building of the School of Creative Arts, and the main campus of ShanghaiTech University.
