The Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao welcomed teachers and students from its UK counterpart on Oct 25 for a week-long music exchange.

Led by Robin Harskin, head of the Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK, the visiting group was met at the airport by Thomas Rosenkranz, the Qingdao school's director of music. This visit follows two study trips by Qingdao teachers and students to the UK school.

Students greeted the visitors on campus, helped with their luggage, and showed them to their accommodation. The guests then sampled Chinese dishes before touring the school's history displays, practice rooms, and terraces overlooking the mountains and sea.

At a welcome ceremony on Oct 26, Rosenkranz said the schools shared educational ideals and that music connected their communities across borders. Harskin thanked the hosts and said he looked forward to students taking classes, rehearsing, and performing together.

During the ceremony, the UK school presented two books by Yehudi Menuhin, The Music of Man and The Violin: An Illustrated History. The Qingdao school presented customized stationery sets in return, while student representative Xu Haoyun delivered a welcome speech.

Students from both schools then headed to class together, beginning a week of shared lessons and music-making.

Teachers and students from the UK pose for a group photo at Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Students and teachers applaud during the welcome ceremony at Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]