Music as the Voice of Patriotism: The Starry Sky Philharmonic Orchestra's Journey at Qian Xuesen Library & Museum

03/31/2025

The Starry Sky Philharmonic Orchestra, anonprofit youth ensemble at Shanghai Jiao TongUniversity’s Qian Xuesen Library & Museum, commenced its new semesterjourney after the 2025 Spring Festival. Dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary "science-artintegration" and teamwork among teenagers, has officiallylaunched its artistic endeavors.

 

Separate and Full Rehearsals:  Expert-LedTraining to Solidify Foundations
The curriculum combines separate rehearsals for strings, winds, and percussionwith full ensemble practices. On February 22, renowned mentors including Chen Wei,conductor of the Time Chamber Orchestra; violinist Yang Can; percussionistZheng Wei; and Chen Yuxinyue, assistant conductor from the ShanghaiConservatory of Music Chamber Orchestra tailored their instruction to students’skill levels. Students received specially adapted scores of My Chinese Heart,a piece customized for the orchestra.

During the first full rehearsal on March 1, under theguidance of five mentors—Chen Wei, Yang Can, Chen Ruijie, Zheng Wei, and ChenYuxinyue, students synergized strings, winds, and percussion into a spiritedrendition of My Chinese Heart. Though still refining their technicalskills, the students demonstrated remarkable collaborative spirit throughattentive eye contact and synchronized gestures. Post-rehearsal, mentors providedfeedback on tonal balance and emotional expression to refine futureperformances.

Parent Meeting: Building Bridges for Growth with Scientific Management
The Starry Sky Philharmonic Orchestra initiative emphasizes family-institution collaboration. On the program’sopening day, a parent meeting addressed key concerns through four segments: programoverview, mentor insights, management guidelines, and Q&A. Zhang Wenjun,Director of the Social Education and Publicity Department at Qian XuesenLibrary & Museum, outlined the institution’s history and the orchestra’svision. Mentors shared perspectives on the synergy between science and art,urging parents to support their children’s musical journeys.

A Management Handbook was distributed at themeeting, which included attendance policies, instrument maintenance protocols,and phased evaluation mechanisms. The handbook received widespread acclaim fromparents for its clarity and rigor.