A different tune for the future of music

For young musicians, Polisi believes, such versatility is increasingly important. Technical mastery remains essential, but graduates must also find new ways to bring art to audiences and build sustainable careers.

"You are not just a technician," he says. "You need to be entrepreneurial, to imagine new ways to bring art to life."

This need becomes particularly pressing in an age of AI, when technology can increasingly perform tasks once considered uniquely human. Yet Polisi believes the conversations, collaboration and emotional bonds formed between musicians remain central to artistic life.

"AI cannot replace human artistic connection," he says.

Polisi led The Juilliard School in New York from 1984 to 2018, the longest presidential tenure in its history. He first brought the Juilliard Orchestra to China in 1987. Looking back on the country's rapid development over the decades, he sees considerable potential for China to play a leading role in classical music.

"I firmly believe that the future of classical music is in China," he says, predicting that the country will become one of the world's major centers for the art form over the next 50 years.

For Tianjin Juilliard, the ambition is not simply to reproduce an American institution in China, but to build a place where different musical traditions can inform one another. He Wei says the school's success should ultimately be measured by whether its students can continue learning, collaborating and contributing wherever their careers take them.

The book also places this vision within a broader discussion of music's social responsibility. Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall, contributes a chapter on music education, arguing that access to music should extend beyond concert halls and elite institutions.

"The greatest music belongs to and should be accessible to everyone," Gillinson says, adding that this belief carries a responsibility to the communities in which music organizations operate.

He recalls that when the London Symphony Orchestra established its music education program 37 years ago, it was among the first orchestras worldwide to do so. Today, he says, music education has become a commitment shared by orchestras and performing arts institutions around the world.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn