End-of-Semester Extravaganza: Art, Music, and Performance

It was a week of celebration as NYU Shanghai closed out the academic year with end-of-semester performances, concerts, and exhibitions showcasing students’ achievements in writing, dance, music, and visual arts. 

Spring Dance Concert - Being, Seeing

At the Spring Dance Concert, entitled Being, Seeing, the main auditorium was packed with family and friends celebrating the hard work and creativity of students. “Everyone was so committed, and gave their whole heart to the audience,” said Assistant Arts Professor of Dance Zhao Yuting after the concert. “I almost cried when watching them, because I saw where they started and where they finished,” added Assistant Arts Professor of Dance Tao Siye. “Half of the students have never danced or taken the stage before–can you imagine how far they’ve come for this show? They worked very hard, and I’m so impressed by their passion.”

_{Angela Xi ’26 and Savanna Peng ’26 performing a dance entitled Fire on Fire, choreographed by Michael Dameski.}

_{Saranna Zhang ’25 performing The Southern Wind, choreographed by Huang Jiayuan.}

_{Mia Xue ’24, Ellie Wang ’24, Tate Pan ’24, Annie Lu ’24, and Eileen Jia ’24 performing March 22, an original piece they choreographed together, under the guidance of Professor Zhao.}

_{Saranna Zhang ’25, Tian Shiyuan ’24, Huang Yixiao ’27, and Wang Hanjing ’26 perform Boundless Scenery, choreographed and taught by Professor Tao in the course Han-Tang Dances.}

_{Li Zelin ’24, Nagyeong Sin ’26, Li Yingxuan ’27, and Yang Yuqing ’24 perform being, seeing…, choreographed and taught by Professor Zhao in the class Contemporary Dance.}

_{Yang Yayuan '26 (center) and other students perform the ones who really love you never really leave you, a piece they choreographed in the class Choreography & Performance, under the guidance of Professor Zhao.}

Ensemble End-of-Semester Concert 

Music filled the air at the Ensemble End-of-Semester Concert, which featured performances by the String Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Chorale, and FaSta (Faculty and Staff) Choir. From a striking interpretation of “Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi” to an inventive original piece by Silas Sui '26, the show had audience members cheering and clapping from start to finish. The finale, a collaboration between Chorale and FaSta Choir, was a moving rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World,” under the direction of Clinical Assistant Professor of Arts Gabriel Song. “We want world peace,” the singers proclaimed in over 15 different languages.

_{From left: Clinical Assistant Professor of Arts Murray James Morrison, Amy Liu ’27, and Johnson Wu ’26.}

_{The Symphony Orchestra} 

_{String Ensemble} 

_{Chorale and FaSta Choir} 

Visual Arts Program Exhibition 

The Visual Arts Program’s end of semester exhibitions for Mark Making 2024 Spring and Blood, Sweat, & Acrylic: Foundations in Painting gave students a chance to display works they created over the course of the semester. Student pieces covered a range of subjects from still-life studies to paintings examining the relationship of humans and the environment. “The moment that the exhibition was ready to go really made me feel like all our efforts have paid off,” said Aria Zhang ’24, one of the student artists. “It made me feel very proud and satisfied.”

_{Aria Zhang ’24 hanging her work with the assistance of Assistant Arts Professor of Visual Arts Maya Kramer}

_{Camila Excheverria '26 straightening her work}

_{Zhao Yiwei '24 hanging her project}

_{Students Ella Xu ’24, Lu Hu ’25, Zhao Yiwei ’25, Camila Echeverria ’26, and Yuki Yang ’24, gather around a work by CC ’27.}

_{Gabriella Kaija Junhala ’24 hanging her work}

_{Leah Lin '25 hanging hanging her work}

Composition Class Recital

All eight students in the Art of Music Composition course taught by renowned composer Visiting Professor of Music and Composition and Distinguished Artist in Residence Bright Sheng composed and performed their own solo and chamber music work, inviting the audience to enjoy the pieces they worked all semester to create.  Sheng said he hopes that students will learn from the experience regardless of their future career path. “Creativity is key to all professions,” he said. “And art lives on creativity.”

_{Tristan Liu ‘24 and Siyao Chen ‘24 performing a piano duet}

_{Students performing clarinet and cello together}

_{Students performing a piece of original chamber music} 

_{Student performers posed with Professor Sheng after the show}

Qiantan Salon: End-of-Year Writing Celebration

The Qiantan Salon: End-of-Year Writing Celebration hosted by the Writing Program, gave NYU Shanghai community members a chance to showcase their latest writing projects. Students, staff, and faculty alike shared poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction pieces in a multitude of languages. Attendees were invited to share pieces in any language. Clinical Professor of Writing Program David Perry, who facilitated the event, said the salon was an opportunity to “celebrate NYU Shanghai’s global community.” 

_{Student and faculty attendees of the writing salon gather at the writing celebration}

Salon Concert and Group Piano Class Recital 

The Salon Concert and Group Piano Class Recital showcased beautiful performances by students learning piano and classical Chinese instruments, such as the erhu, guqin, and bamboo flute. “The students performed excellently at the concert,” said Adjunct Instructor of Arts Qian Jun, who teaches the bamboo flute class. “As a teacher, I am happy.” Clinical Associate Professor in Piano Chen Wei said she was impressed with the students’ enthusiasm for the music. “Even after the concert, they gathered around the piano, still playing, dancing, and singing along to the music,” she said. “Music has such a magical impact, it ignites passion and brings everyone together.” 

_{Students from Adjunct Professor of Arts Duan Ai’ai’s erhu class performing: (from left) Benjamin Lam ’24, Isabel Chen ’27, Aizere Seitjan ‘27, Hu Huayuan ’27}

_{Students from Adjunct Professor of Arts Dai Wei’s guqin class performing: (front row, left to right) Justin Tong ’24, Chen Minji ’24, Shen Yu ’24 (back row, left to right) Gloria Tsang ‘24, Sihan Fan ‘24}

_{Students from Adjunct Professor of Arts Qian Jun’s bamboo flute class: (from left): Tyler B ’24, Winni Guo ’26, Jeff Wang ’24}

_{Students from Clinical Associate Professor in Piano Chen Wei’s Piano class: Christian Lapitan ’25 (left) and Chenhan Xu ’27 performing por una Cabeza.}

End of Semester A Cappella Concert

Student groups Octave Fusion and NYUSH Large A Cappella dazzled audiences with their renditions of over a dozen professional-level a cappella songs at the A Cappella End of Semester Concert. From Disney to Brittney Spears, the two groups performed a wide variety of songs that had the crowd enthusiastically cheering. SOS Dance joined both Octave Fusion and NYUSH Large A Cappella for their final numbers of the night, creating a high energy performance that had the crowd on their feet. “Through this form of music, we can convey emotions that transcend words,” says Clare Zhao ‘26, a member of the Large A Cappella group. “Finally stepping onto the stage to share our music with the audience is always a rewarding experience.”  “I hope the students are as proud of themselves as I am,” said Choir Director and Clinical Assistant Professor of the Arts Katherine Girvin. “Singing brings so much joy, but to sing such difficult music that was learned in such a short amount of time is a massive accomplishment.”

_{Jean Zhang '26 and Sophia Jiang '26 perform a duet}

_{Singers from Large A Cappella share their music with the crowd}

_{A full house appreciating the astounding a cappella performance}

_{Grace San '24 performing with SOS Dance group}

Performance Piano Class Recital - Piano Piano

At “Piano Piano,” this semester’s piano recital, performers wowed the audience with an array of pieces that highlighted the piano’s vast emotional range. The Italian expression "Piano Piano" finds its English equivalent in "slowly, slowly" or "softly, softly,” reflecting the patience and careful craftsmanship embodied in the recital. “The students really communicate through the music,” said Clinical Assistant Professor of Arts Chen Meiling after the show. “It’s very special.” 

^{Students from Inter-beginner Group Piano Class Minjun Zhu '26 (left) and Ruiqi Huo ‘27 performed a duet together}

^{Wang Siting ’24 performed Prelude in #C minor, op.3 no.2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff}

^{Peng Boyan ’27 performed Nocturne in C minor by Frédéric Chopin}

Interactive Media Arts End-of-Semester Show
 

Friends and family alike gathered at the IMA Show to admire the creative projects designed by IMA students over the course of the semester. Students showcased the results of their hard work, from mesmerizing moving light fixtures and elegant wooden instruments to interactive video games and useful app prototypes. Attendees interacted with student projects while students answered their curious questions. “I loved sharing my project with all the people here,” said Jinyuan Xu ’26, an IMA student presenting a prototype for a travel-planning app. “We spent a lot of time developing this app. It’s a great way to demonstrate our ideas and thoughts.” 
 

^{Spectrum Butterfly by Nadine Chen ’26}

^{Ghost Quartet on CRT by Eddy Ji ’26}

^{Untitled by Quan Yuan ’26}

 

IMB Capstone Showcase

After a year of researching, prototyping, and revising, seniors in Interactive Media and Business presented their capstone projects at the IMB Capstone Showcase. Students created innovative products or services that utilize a business model to solve various problems. The projects were diverse: from “Stringed,” a subscription box aimed at strengthening romantic relationships, to “PlanIt,” an academic planning platform that helps students make informed decisions about their academic journey.

^{IMB Associate Arts Professor Professor Emily Tsiang (left) looks on with Natania Stewart ’24 (center) as Elena Welsch ’24 introduces her capstone.}
 

^{Students showing off their capstone projects}

^{Kevin Dai ’24 (left) shows off his capstone project to IMB Visiting Arts Professor Margaret Minsky and visitors.} 

^{Angela Fu ’24 showing off her capstone project}