The guests attending the donation ceremony included Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France and Shuhsi Hsü Chair Professor of Yenching Academy; Wang Bo, Vice President and Provost of Peking University; YCA Honorary Dean Yuan Ming; YCA Dean Dong Qiang; Emmanuelle Pérès, Secretary General of the Prospective and Innovation Foundation; Luo Jianfeng, General Manager of Pleyel China Co., Ltd.; Xie Yu, member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, and Director of the PKU Center for Social Research; Li Yun, Director of the PKU Office of International Relations; YCA Association Dean Fang Shiming; YCA Association Dean Brent Haas; Yu Jia, Associate Professor of the PKU Center for Social Research, Guanghua School of Management; and Yang Feng, Assistant Professor at Yenching Academy and Guanghua Management School, Peking University.
Before the donation ceremony, Dean Dong Qiang and Mr Luo Jianfeng executed the donation agreement at Jingyuan Courtyard 3, in the presence of Mr Raffarin and Honorary Dean Yuan Ming.
Dean Dong Qiang delivered the welcome address and hosted the ceremony. As one of the earliest piano brands, the Maison Pleyel has accompanied the greatest musicians and composers in more than two centuries, including Frédéric Chopin and Claude Debussy. Dean Dong highlighted that as the PKU’s key player in international education, Yenching Academy is dedicated to being a bridge between China and the rest of the world. He hoped that piano and music would serve as a tie between our Scholars around the world. The dean noted that China is home to many outstanding pianists and that a piano is not only a musical instrument, but the manifestation of a culture, mentality, and civilisation. Prof Dong hoped that international students could channel their homesickness by playing the piano, while Chinese students could showcase their artistic talent and build friendship with fellow enthusiasts.
In his remarks, Mr Raffarin noted that Pleyel has been a prestigious piano brand in France and hailed it as symbol of the friendship between France and China. He mentioned the brand’s defining association with Chopin, to stress the brand’s embodiment of French elegance and artistic uniqueness. Mr Raffarin pointed that being out of production for a while, Pleyel was brought to a new chapter thanks to efforts of the Chinese enterprise. He appreciated what the Chinese enterprise has done for the house of Pleyel. The rebirth of Pleyel is not only the revival of a brand, but a landmark of cultural exchange and cooperation between France and China.
Mr Luo Jianfeng felt honored to be Pleyel’s representative to witness the event. He noted that Pleyel is the world’s oldest surviving piano brand in the world and witnessed the golden age of arts in Europe, while Yenching Academy is an institution enriched with the wisdom of an Eastern civilisation. He believed that the encounter of the two will produce resonance between history and innovation. Pleyel pianos are not only musical instruments, but the manifestation of the French artistic genius, and with its superb craftsmanship and clear, lyrical tone, the Maison Pleyel will act as a bridge between Eastern and Western arts. Mr Luo considered the donated piano as a physical witness to “music diplomacy”, reminding that civilisations are enriched by exchange and mutual appreciation. He wished that Pleyel pianos will be a fountain of inspirations and innovation and witness cross-cultural exchange bloom in music.
Following is Mr Luo’s address delivered at the donation ceremony:
Good afternoon, dear Mr Raffarin, dear Dean Yuan, dear Dean Dong, dear guests and Yenching Scholars.
We are gathered here at Yenching Academy, Peking University, to witness a dialog between two civilisations and across ages. Pleyel, the French piano brand with a history of over two centuries, finds a home at Yenching Academy, the world-renowned international education institution at Peking University. It is a great honour and pleasure to be the representative of Pleyel Piano at this event.
Founded in Paris in 1807, Pleyel is the oldest, extant piano brand in the world. As a witness to the golden age of art in Europe, the Maison Pleyel has accompanied the greatest musicians and composers. Yenching Academy just celebrated its tenth birthday. A young educational institution as it is, Yenching Academy is enriched with the wisdom of an Eastern civilisation upheld by Peking University the Birthplace of China’s New Culture Movement. The encounter of Pleyel and Yenching Academy will produce resonance between history and innovation.
Pleyel pianos are not only musical instruments, but the manifestation of the French artistic genius. The Maison Pleyel has boasted a defining association with the greatest composers like Chopin and Debussy. At Yenching Academy, the time-honored piano brand will meet both traditional Chinese culture and modern thoughts and kindle new cultural sparks.
Known for its superb craftsmanship and clear, lyrical tone, Pleyel is a manifest of the European art and aesthetics. At Yenching Academy, the piano function as both a top-notch musical instrument and a bridge between Eastern and Western arts. A symphony of Western rhythms and Eastern poeticism will flow on the piano keys.
Pleyel finds a home at Yenching Academy, as a physical witness to “music diplomacy”. It reminds us that civilisations are enriched by exchange and mutual appreciation. The piano keys in alternating black and white are a metaphor for the dialog between Eastern and Western civilisations, that different tones will unite a concerto of humanity.
And, I wish that this piano will be not only a treasure of art for Yenching Academy, but also a fountain of inspirations and innovation. I hope that cross-cultural exchange will come into full blossom in the sound of piano.
Thank you.
Dean Dong Qiang presented a donation certificate to Mr Luo Jianfeng, in honor of Luo’s support for Yenching Academy and its cultural exchange. Prof Wang Bo and Mr Luo unveiled the piano together, in the presence of attending guests, teachers and students.
The ceremony was followed by a performance by our Scholars. Imogen Parsley (UK, Cohort 2024) delivered a solo of Chinese song Jasmine Flower and Debussy’s Clair de Lune, accompanied by Iris Qi Hamilton (USA, Cohort 2025) on the piano. Their brilliant performance presented a harmonious union of Eastern and Western music arts.
