To further advance the international education strategy and enhance the quality of music talent training, the School of Music at Sichuan University of Culture and Arts (SCUCA) recently hosted two high-level international masterclass lectures. The event invited Mr. Ettore Leccese, a renowned Italian trumpet soloist and lecturer at the Conservatory of Pavia, and Professor Claudia Mariano, a senior répétiteur from Italian opera houses and conservatory professor, to deliver lectures on campus. The masterclasses, namely Advanced Trumpet Performance and Ensemble and Piano Coaching and Vocal Repertoire Analysis, attracted enthusiastic participation from numerous teachers and students majoring in music, setting off a vibrant wave of cross-border artistic exchange on campus.

1 Refining Performance Skills, Interpreting the Harmony of Brass Music

In the trumpet masterclass, Mr. Ettore Leccese began with the evolution of Italian trumpet art, profoundly expounding the artistic philosophy that technique serves emotion, and ensemble achieves melodic harmony. Starting with fundamental skills such as breath control and tone shaping, he analyzed common performance difficulties one by one through precise on-site demonstrations and offered targeted solutions. Later, the master led teachers and students in ensemble rehearsals, elaborating on the connotation and expressive techniques of classic repertoires, enabling participants to personally grasp the harmonious beauty and emotional essence of brass ensemble performance.

2 Focusing on Vocal Collaboration, Immersing in Opera Art

In the piano coaching masterclass, Professor Claudia Mariano conducted systematic teaching centered on the collaborative logic between piano and voice. She dissected accompanying techniques in opera excerpts paragraph by paragraph and guided teachers and students on how to achieve emotional resonance between accompaniment and singing. Meanwhile, she conducted comprehensive analyses of multiple classic opera works, sharing valuable experience in vocal detail processing and artistic interpretation. Under her guidance, the audience immersed themselves in the profound cultural heritage of Italian vocal music and opera, with a strong academic atmosphere throughout the session.

3 Warm Interactive Exchanges and Masters’ Messages on Artistic Perseverance

Interactive Q&A sessions were arranged for both masterclasses. Teachers and students actively raised questions concerning academic learning, performance techniques, career development and other topics. The two Italian experts answered patiently and, drawing on their extensive stage and teaching experience, encouraged everyone to uphold their passion for music, concentrate on consolidating basic skills, and continuously pursue artistic breakthroughs and growth.

4 Standing on International Education to Continuously Empower Music Education

The successful holding of the Italian masterclasses represents an important measure for SCUCA to further promote Sino-foreign music and art exchanges and build a high-level academic dialogue platform. The event not only offered teachers and students a precious opportunity to engage with world-class artists at close range, but also further consolidated students’ professional foundations and improved their artistic literacy through the dual nourishment of professional skills and musical aesthetics.

In the future, the School of Music will continue to introduce high-quality artistic resources from home and abroad, hold high-level academic exchanges and master lectures on a regular basis, and constantly broaden the artistic horizons of teachers and students while strengthening professional competence training. The university will also deepen international cooperation with a more diverse and open attitude, promote the quality and efficiency of education and high-quality development, and make unremitting efforts to cultivate interdisciplinary talents with international vision and innovative capabilities.