Rutgers' Confucius Institute Celebrates First-Year Anniversary

Performing Arts show planned for April 11

March 11, 2009

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The Confucius Institute at Rutgers University (CIRU) will celebrate its first-year anniversary with “The Splendor of Chinese Performing Arts,” which will showcase Chinese opera, dance and music.

The show will take place at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 11, at the Nicholas Music Center, 85 George Street, on Rutgers’ Douglass Campus in New Brunswick. Tickets are $20 general admission, $10 for students and children over the age of 8 years old.

The show will feature performances by two Kunqu opera masters from Shanghai, China, Maestro Zhengren Cai and Maestro Xunpeng Zhang. Other featured performers will be Nai-Nee Chen, award-winning dance/choreographer and director of the Chen Nai-Nee Dancing Company; Yi Yang, world-renowned master guzheng virtuoso; Tao Chen, internationally acclaimed Chinese flutist and director of the Melody of Dragon; Beijing opera artist Xinlai Zhou; and Peng Li, a face mask magic performer.

The first and only Confucius institution in New Jersey, CIRU had its opening ceremony in November 2007 and began operation in May 2008. The institute was established in partnership with Jilin University in China and with support from both Rutgers and the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) to promote quality Chinese language and culture education, and to serve as a resource center for Chinese studies in the state.

For more information on the Confucius Institute, go online to www.ciru.rutgers.edu.