The "Returning Melodies · Chasing Light" Alumni Concert Series has officially begun with a warm and successful opening performance. Li Minglun, a 2025 classical guitar alumnus, returned to his alma mater after a year of study at The Juilliard School in the United States, and together with young cellist Qi Honggu, presented a musical narrative of homecoming and legacy through their performances.

While the echoes of the opening concert still linger, another letter has arrived at Menuhin—postmarked from Manhattan.

On June 12 at 7:00 p.m., also in Menuhin Hall, Jing Haoran, a 2025 alumnus now studying at the Manhattan School of Music, will present his solo recital: "Wordless Romance." He describes this not as a "report-back" performance, but rather as a letter to his alma mater.

Dear teachers, fellow students, and friends,

My intention is to return to where it all began, and to share with you the scenery along my journey.

I have named this concert "Wordless Romance." The title is inspired by Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words—music that speaks the tenderest feelings of the heart through melody alone, without need of lyrics. For there are emotions that words cannot fully convey: my gratitude to my alma mater, my respect for every teacher, my appreciation for friends and classmates, my attachment to my hometown Qingdao, and those moments across the sea that unexpectedly stirred my homesickness. All these fragments—I wish to tell them to you through my playing.

I have specially invited Xu Jiashuo, a Grade 7 student at the school, to share the stage with me. Watching him, I feel as if I am seeing my younger self. This is how musical heritage is passed down, from one generation to the next. I will also collaborate with two good friends, Bai Yongxuan (cello) and Wang Zikang (piano), on Debussy's Piano Trio No. 1 in G major—an early work brimming with the vitality and sensitivity of youth, which perfectly captures where we are at this moment...

Among the friends mentioned in the letter, Bai Yongxuan and Wang Zikang, both from the Class of 2026, have each received notable offers: Bai Yongxuan has been admitted to the Manhattan School of Music with a substantial scholarship and will join Jing Haoran as a fellow alumnus this autumn; Wang Zikang will pursue further studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in the United States. From practicing side by side at Qingdao Menuhin to chasing their dreams across the ocean, these young musicians continue to support one another along their paths.

The "Returning Melodies · Chasing Light" Alumni Concert Series continues with two upcoming events: on June 29, "Gathering Melodies from the Long River" will feature alumni from multiple departments performing together; on July 1, "Scales of Time" will move to the Qingdao Concert Hall. We look forward to seeing you there.