Public Lectures by Musicologists from the Institute of Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, at the Confucius Institute in Sofia

The Confucius Institute in Sofia at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" is organising a series of three public lectures dedicated to the musical culture of China as part of the annual project "You and I Talk About Chinese Culture." The public lectures will take place on June 25, 2026, from 15:00 to 16:30 in Hall 2 of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, located at 79 Todor Alexandrov Blvd.
Among the invited Bulgarian speakers are Prof. Ivanka Vlaeva, D.Sc., from South-West University "Neofit Rilski" and Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," who is an associate member of the Department of Music at the Institute of Art Studies, BAS, and Prof. Miglena Tzenova, PhD, a musicologist from the Institute of Art Studies, BAS. Representing the Chinese side, a lecture will be presented by Prof. Dong Jingmin (董金明) — a master instrumentalist, educator, lecturer, and musical director of the Jiangsu Provincial Centre of Culture and Arts (江苏省文化艺术中心).
The academic program opens with an online lecture by Prof. Dong Jingmin on the topic "The History of Development, Continuation of Tradition, and International Dissemination of the Chinese Traditional Instrument Erhu," starting at 15:00. The lecture will be delivered in Chinese, accompanied by an English presentation.
The scientific panel proceeds at 15:30 with the lecture "The First Performances of Peking Opera Jingju (京剧) and Sichuan Traditional Opera Chuanju (川剧) in Bulgaria and Their Reception" by Prof. Miglena Tzenova, PhD. The exposition provides a multi-aspect analysis of the first tours of Jingju and Chuanju theatres and troupes in Bulgaria during the 1950s and explores the unique "communication" of the performances with the Bulgarian public.
The final lecture, "Music in Cultural and Social Events in Contemporary China," will be given by Prof. Ivanka Vlaeva, D.Sc., starting at 16:00. The discourse seeks to answer various research questions, including: What kind of cultural and social events are utilised for the goals of cultural strategies and creative industries in China today?
An opportunity for discussion is provided after each lecture. The academic program can be followed either in person (in Hall 2 of the Confucius Institute in Sofia) or online via the Zoom platform (Meeting ID: 899 441 5839; Passcode: kKA9j6; link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8994415839?pwd=TEpoQm1kLzJkVlpBeENGOFhybGQrQT09&omn=88415324053).