In September 2015, the head of vocal arts at the Juilliard School asked Liv Redpath, a second-year graduate student, if she would learn “Flowing River,” a Chinese folk song, ahead of an important visit. Although she spoke no Chinese, Redpath agreed, and a few weeks later, the soprano performed it in front of Juilliard’s leadership and the guest of honor, famed Chinese folk singer Peng Liyuan. Peng listened to Redpath, gave her some notes, and asked her to sing the song again.
Peng was in town for more than a masterclass though. She was accompanying her husband, Xi Jinping, on his first visit to the United States as China’s leader. On that trip, Xi and President Obama agreed to stop hacking each other’s private businesses, and it seemed that things were looking up for the U.S.-China relationship. Indeed, Peng’s visit to Juilliard was to announce that the performing arts school had received Chinese approval to open a campus in Tianjin for graduate and pre-college pro
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