UIndy’s Festival Chorale Travels to China - 2007

A June trip to the People’s Republic of China was an eye-opener for members of UIndy’s Festival Chorale, but the musical ambassadors from Indiana obviously made quite an impression, as well.

Photos and mentions of the group’s joint performances with Chinese choirs – singing in the local tongue, no less – appeared in major print and electronic publications including the People’s Daily, the main government-sponsored newspaper, and Beijing Today, one of the capital’s top English-language news outlets.

“Every time we did a concert, there were all these photographers there,” said Dr. Paul Krasnovsky, UIndy’s Director of Choral Activities.

The traveling group of 37 people included students, faculty, alumni and some Indianapolis-area residents who participate in the university’s Choral Union community choir. From June 5 to 16, they visited such landmarks as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City and performed in the cities of Shanghai, Hangzhou and Beijing. The troupe was received warmly at every stop, Krasnovsky said.

“When we started singing in Chinese, they would burst into these huge smiles,” he said. “The people are very, very kind and always interested to meet Americans.”

The travelers were impressed by the national pride on display as Beijing gears up to host the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, and also by the ongoing economic boom. At one stop, their bus parked alongside a massive Rolls-Royce dealership.

“Large parts of China are certainly to be considered Third World, but you’re also struck by the wealth,” Krasnovsky said. “If you go shopping in Shanghai, the quality and the variety and the prices make many places in the Midwest look minor league.”