On May 27th, Dr. Norbert Egger, Honorary Citizen of Qingdao and former First Deputy Mayor of Mannheim, Germany, paid a visit to The Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao for exchange and communication. As a pivotal figure who has promoted friendly city cooperation between China and Germany for 36 years, Dr. Egger's visit aimed to deepen educational interactions and expand international development pathways for students. Leaders from the Qingdao Foreign Affairs Office accompanied him during the visit.

1、Amiable Interactions to Experience Educational Achievements

Dr. Egger engaged in cordial exchanges with three outstanding student representatives from our School: Cai Junyi (trumpet, Grade 10), Wang Weikuan (violin, Grade 12), and Ge Jinyi (violin, Grade 11). He listened to their performances on-site and highly praised their exquisite skills and artistic expressiveness, believing that "the confidence and initiative displayed by these pupils are excellent traits nurtured by the 'holistic education' philosophy." He was particularly impressed by Wang Weikuan's outstanding achievement of securing an offer and a generous scholarship for both violin and viola majors at the prestigious Juilliard School in the United States this year, commenting that he "demonstrates the potential of a world-class music student." Dr. Egger chatted with the students about their academic plans like a friend and happily accepted the musical instrument model gifts presented to him by the students.

2、In-depth Visit to Witness Professional Strength

Dr. Egger toured the acoustically designed practice rooms, the Menuhin Hall, and various types of classrooms. He paused at the iconic "City of Stars" space to soak in the artistic atmosphere and expressed deep admiration for the school's environment, which integrates natural ecology with top-tier art education. He commended the School's teaching facilities as "high-end, professional, and aesthetically designed, fully meeting the standards of international top-tier music institutions."

3、Profound Background Strengthens Cooperation Foundations

As the founder of the sister-city relationship between Qingdao and Mannheim, Dr. Egger was once awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of Shandong Province." His book, "A Gateway to the World" dedicated to Qingdao, was praised by former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing as "a heartfelt declaration of love for Qingdao." In addition to delivering a keynote speech titled "Launch Ceremony of the '2025 Shandong International Sister Cities Cooperation and Exchange Week': A Gateway to the World - 36 Years of Qingdao" during his visit to Qingdao, exploring YMSQ represents his new endeavor in deepening sister-city cooperation and expanding educational fields.

Dr. Egger's visit has further expanded the international “circle of friends” of YMSQ. The Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao will continue to collaborate with global high-quality art resources to build a broad international stage to support the artistic dreams of Menuhin students.