From 20^th to 25^th May a group of fifteen students and teaching staff from the Bachelor of Arts in Music, School of Arts, Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI), led by Dr. Hsu Hsiu-Chu and Associate Professor Dai Baisheng, Director of the School of Arts and Music Programme Coordinator respectively, visited three colleges in Beijing, holding joint concerts, first with the Music College of Capital Normal University (CNU) and then with the Central Conservatory Of Music (CCOM).

During the visit to the Music College of Capital Normal University, Cao Wei and Wang Wen, Secretary of the CNU's Party Committee and Vice President of CNU respectively, introduced CNU's history, curriculum, development programmes and course development, while Programme Coordinator Dai Baisheng spoke about MPI’s provision of education services and development support. The delegation then went on to visit the Music College's teaching facilities. On June 21^st teaching staff and students from CNU and MPI performed together in the Concert Hall of CNU, the Music Programme students’ performance including a piano quartet, female duet, voice and clarinet trios (with piano) and soprano solo. MPI academic staff also took part in the performance, with young scholars Dr. Kwok Ka Ho and Dr. Wang Xi performing piano and soprano solos respectively. In addition, a viola solo, erhu solo, clarinet-cello-piano trio, and piano duet were performed by young scholars of CNU.

During the visit to CCOM MPI teaching staff  were warmly received by Guo Shulan, Secretary of CCOM’s Party Committee, along with representatives from the United Front Work Department, International Exchange Office, Department of Music Education and Graduate Student Affairs Division. During the meetingSecretary Guo reviewed recent exchanges from both colleges as well as introducing CCOM’s teachers, students and alumni participating in the Macao Arts Festival. She expressed her appreciation for MPI’s hospitality shown to CCOM’s delegation when they visited Macao to attend a performance and  stated that various forms of exchange could take place between the two colleges and that exchanges should be held regularly so as to promote cultural exchanges and collaboration between Beijing and Macao, deepening understanding of both regions. Director Hsu Hsiu-Chu introduced MPI’s history and and the characteristics of arts education in Macao, and said that she hoped joint concerts of such a kind would be organisedon a regular basis, so that they would develop to be “flagship” concerts for musical exchanges for both regions.

In the evening of 22^nd June the “Joint Concert of the CCOM and the School of Arts of MPI” was held in the Concert Hall of CCOM. The first half of the concert was performed by MPI Music Programme teachers and students and the second half by CCOM’s teachers and students. The performance was rich in variety, consisting of “The Ambush” pipa duet led by renowned pipa player Professor Zhang Hongyan, “Vissi d'arte” solo aria by distinguished vocalist Professor Zhang Liping, as well as the “Mendelssohn String Quartet” by the award-winning Amber Quartet. The performance received rounds of applause from teachers and students of both colleges as well as students from other colleges in Beijing.

In recent years MPI has continued to foster cooperation and exchanges with colleges and universities from the Chinese Mainland andwider world. After successfully holding concerts in the University of Lisbon, the University of Coimbra, and the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria during MPI's visit to Portugal last May, this year's concert has been another collegial exchange performance. These activities not only provide the Music Programme's teachers and students an opportunity to gain experience from stage performance and a chance to learn from students from different colleges, but also act as a connection platform for collegial exchanges, manifesting the effectiveness of the Macao SAR Government’s development of music culture and higher education in the arts.