Nanjing Epiphanies
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Jonathan R Paget's ORCID record 
Nick Abbey's ORCID record Jamie Oehlers’s ORCID record Tim White’s ORCID record Geoffrey Lancaster’s ORCID record
Research Statement
Research Background
This work comprised collaborative musical performances in China involving musicians from the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and Nanjing University of the Arts (NUA), with a focus on the realisation of Australian works within a Chinese context. An experiment in cross-cultural collaboration, and how chamber projects can distribute creative decisions across performers of differing cultural backgrounds (Whittall, 2017; Cook, 2018). It thereby investigates how subtle differences in understandings and outlook variously lead to unexpected challenges, common ground, or surprising musical epiphanies.
Research Contribution
This project investigated the potential of cross-cultural collaboration to germinate fresh interpretative perspective within three differing collaborative performance contexts. First, the joint performance of Jazz standards and original jazz repertoire involved negotiating differing notions of style and virtuosity, including perspectives on time-feel, melodic tension, and harmonisation. Second, the preparation of Australian classical chamber works involved negotiating differing understandings of notation, technique, and style. Third, similar challenges revealed themselves even in the performance of canonical works, particularly between western notions of interpretative flexibility (as per historically-informed performance) and Chinese expectations of polish and virtuosity. Across all three models, the results surprised for their charisma and emotive efficacy, and the ease with which surprising stylistic amalgams (preserving traits of both cultures) could be found.
Research Significance
This project was funded by a $65,000 grant from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, with ECU in-kind support, and involved a series of performances completed in Nanjing in November 2023. These concerts were very well received by staff, students, and supporters of NUA, and broadly publicised on Chinese social media platforms.
Non-Traditional Research Output
Live Performance
Document Type
Non-Traditional Research Output
Date of Publication
2023
Evidence of First Exhibition/Presentation
Nanjing University of the Arts: Recital Hall
Location of the Work
Nanjing University of the Arts: Recital Hall; Popular Music Theatre; Experimental Theatre
Publisher
Nanjing University of the Arts
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
RAS ID
70302
Funders
National Foundation for Australia-China Relations
Event Title
Various
Event Dates
November 9, 2024, November 13, 2024, November 15, 2024
Event Venue
Nanjing University of the Arts: Recital Hall (9th), Popular Music Theatre (13th), Experimental Theatre (15th)
Duration
250 minutes
Comments
Paget, J., Abbey, N., Oehlers, J., White, T., Ding, W., Huang, C., Lancaster, G., Ling, S., Ling, K., Tang, Z., Wang, Y., Ye, D. (2023). Nanjing Epiphanies. [video files, sound files]. Nanjing University of the Arts: Recital Hall, Popular Music Theatre, Experimental Theatre.