China on Stage symposium: Xianghua Buddhist Religious Ceremony Lecture and Demonstration

Wang Kui will give the history and explanation of the music that is tied to Buddhist religious ceremonies of the Guangdong Province.

Friday, May 2
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Wang Kui, Institute at the Academy of Arts in China

Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival Symposium: The State of the Arts in China
Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and Stanford Lively Arts
http://panasianmusicfestival.stanford.edu

In a series of scholarly discussions with experts in Chinese theatre, opera, popular music and performance art, the symposium will explore what artists are creating and performing now, discuss what new directions contemporary culture may take in the coming years, and explore its potential influence on global culture.
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Kui will give the history and explanation of the music that is tied to Buddhist religious ceremonies of the Guangdong Province. Kui spent a year living among the Xianghua monks and nuns, and he explains the music's chanting, singing, drumming and movement, as well as the symbolism of the way things are staged, the traditional dress, and the use of various texts. The Xianghua Buddhist monks and nuns will be present to demonstrate.