World famous musician Liu Yuening became Silk Road Cities Alliance culture ambassador

 Professor Liu Yuening is an outstanding world-famous musician, who has extensive international popularity and influence. The Silk Road Cities Alliance aims to promote exchanges and cooperation among cities under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, important aspect of this cooperation is cultural exchange. This time, together with Professor Liu, we are using the common language of all mankind – music, as a bridge of communication between China and the Silk Road cities to promote Chinese music and culture, promote Silk Road cultural exchange and enhance understanding and friendship among Silk Road countries and cities. On January 25, 2018, Silk Road Cities Alliance invited Professor Liu Yuening as a cultural ambassador to participate in the "Chinese Culture Festival in Maldives", that is going to be held at the end of February, "Jiayuguan Silk Road Gourmet Carnival", which is to be held in June. She will also be the jury chairman at the songs section of the "Young Dreams Encounter B&R Initiative" contest. Together with the Silk Road Cities Alliance she will organize "Chinese traditional music experience class for the spouses of foreign diplomats in China" activity. Professor Liu said she expects both parties to work together to make a contribution to China's music promotion and cultural exchange.

 Professor Liu Yuening is a famous Yangqin (Chinese dulcimer) performer and educator. She currently supervises PhD students at CCOM and works as the director of the Music Confucius Institute Office and the Center for International Music Culture Exchange of CCOM. Professor Liu received her PhD at the Eotvos Loránd University in Hungary. She was a visiting scholar at Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Hungary doing research in music education and folk music; “Asian Scholar” sponsored by Ford Foundation at the College of Music of University of Delhi doing research in Indian classical music; and “Fulbright Scholar” at the College of Music, Dance and Drama of Michigan University doing research in folk and jazz music.

 She has many titles, including member of the National Committee of the 12^th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), vice president of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA), president of the Central and Eastern Europe Association of WRSA, and vice president of the Yangqin Association of China Nationalities Orchestra Society. She has been to over 40 countries and regions and has won culture-related awards in Ukraine, Hungary, Czech Republic and China, making great contribution to international cultural exchanges as well as introducing and promotion of Chinese music and culture at the international stage.

 The "Silk Cedar" music band, co-founded by Professor Liu and American musicians David Miller, Dennis Friesen-Carper and Paul Friesen-Carper, will also join the Silk Road Cities Alliance. The music band is a blend of Chinese traditional music and the American style music, promoting Chinese music to the world in the form of a combination of Chinese and Western elements, spreading it to countries along the Silk Road.