8th Lisbon Conference: Chinese Music and Musical Instruments: Expanding Horizons

The 8th Lisbon Conference: Chinese Music and Musical Instruments: Expanding Horizons: Embracing the Wide Variety of Asian Music and Dance [中国民乐与乐器: 里斯本第八届研讨会拓展视野一睹亚洲音乐和舞蹈的多样性] took place on 7-10 May 2025, organized by the Institute of Ethnomusicology - Centre for Music and Dance Studies (INET-md) of the NOVA University Lisbon, by the European Foundation for Chinese Music Research (CHIME), by the Municipality of Mafra, and by the Confucius Institutes from the universities of Aveiro and Minho.  Launched in 2016, the Lisbon Conference works to explore, discuss, and celebrate the diverse musical traditions of Asia, helping to forge new connections, deepen understanding, and contribute to the global appreciation of Asian music and dance.

The 2025 conference themes included:

• Traditional and popular performing arts of Asia
• Heritages of Western music in Asia
• Chinese musical history, pre- and post-1949
• Chinese musical influences on Asia and Europe
• Asian musical instruments in Western museums
• Music, dance, and composition in Macau
• Music and dance in Asian diasporas worldwide

In addition to the conference presentations, conference attendees and the public had the opportunity to experience a curated series of concerts and recitals, showcasing the varied musical heritage of Asia and Portugal (the host country).

UCLA Ethnomusicology was well represented at this year’s conference.  Presenting at the conference were Professors Supeena Insee Adler, Helen Rees, and Maureen Russell, PhD candidate Dr. Tingting Tang (yes, she already has one PhD), and UCLA Ethnomusicology alumni Professors Tanya Merchant (UCSC) and Edwin Porras (Inaugural Norton Family Assistant Professor of Music at Haverford College). 

“Folksongs of the Naxi of Southwest China,” HE Jinhua (Yulong County Ethnic Culture Troupe, Lijiang, China), HUANG Limei (Hanmijin Ensemble, Lijiang City Ancient Town Cultural Bureau, China),Tingting TANG (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

“Family Heirlooms as Social Objects: The Thai Musical Instruments at UCLA," Supeena ADLER (Imagine courtesy Maureen Russell)

“From Cultural Adaptation to Representation: The Naxi People in Tibet and the Tibetan Piwang (Fiddle) of Markam County,” Tingting TANG (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

“A Biography of the Uzbek Dutar: Tracing the Instrument and its Performance Practice through the 20th Century,” Tanya MERCHANT (Image courtesy Helen Rees)

“Sharing Soundscapes: The Bake/Jairazbhoy Digital Archive of South Asian Traditional Music and Arts,” Maureen RUSSELL (Image courtesy Tingting Tang)

 “The Q-pop Phenomenon: Cultural Exchange Between Korean and Andean Pop,” Edwin E. PORRAS (Image courtesy Helen Rees)

“Beyond Nation-State Boundaries: Musics of the Southwest China–Southeast Asia Borderlands,” Helen REES (Image courtesy Tanya Merchant)

On the first night of the conference, there was a marvelous Opening Concert at the Casa da Música Francisco Alves Gato, Mafra, Portugal, which featured Supeena Insee ADLER (Jakhe) -- Helen REES (Khlui) -- Tingting TANG (Ching, Voice) -- Tanya MERCHANT (Dutar) -- Mili VIZCAÍNO (Cajón, Darbuka, Voice) -- Ustad Fazel SAPAND (Rubab, Harmonium, Voice) -- DU Wanzhen (Guqin) -- François PICARD (Sheng, Xiao) -- HE Jinhua (Voice), HUANG Limei (Guzheng).  

Musicians at the Palácio Nacional de Mafra (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

The musicians trek from Palácio Nacional de Mafra to Casa da Música Francisco Alves Gato.  (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

The musicians trek from Palácio Nacional de Mafra to Casa da Música Francisco Alves Gato.  (Image courtesy Helen Rees)

Casa da Música Francisco Alves Gato.  (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

Supeena Insee Adler, Tingting Tang, Helen Rees (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

Tanya Merchant (Image courtesy Helen Rees)

HE Jinhua, HUANG Limei (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

Curtain call and a big round of applause for all the performers!  (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

Special thanks to Enio de Souza for being such a wonderful host. 

HE Jinhua and HUANG Limei gifting Enio de SOUZA (Image courtesy Helen Rees)

HE Jinhua, HUANG Limei, Enio de SOUZA (Image courtesy Helen Rees)

Flowers gifted to Enio de SOUZA by the conference attendees (Image courtesy Helen Rees)

Enio de Souza singing Fado at the closing night conference dinner (Image courtesy Helen Rees)

The UCLA Ethnomusicology family. l-r: Helen Rees, Maureen Russell, Tanya Merchant, Lisa Beebe (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, she was a student of Tanya's at UCSC), Edwin Porras, Supeena Insee Adler, Tingting Tang (Image courtesy Maureen Russell)

Thanks to all the conference supporters and funders for such a wonderful event.

This event was financed by Fundação Jorge Álvares, INET-md – Instituto de Etnomusicologia – Centro de Estudos em Música e Dança (by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciênciae a Tecnologia, I.P., under project UID 00472), Instituto Confúcio – Universidade do Minho, Instituto Confúcio – Universidade de Aveiro, Instituto Confúcio – Universidade de Lisboa, Fundação Casade Macau and Ibéria Universal / Rádio Arco-Íris.

The extended Scientific Committee consists of: Enio de Souza, (INET-md, NOVA University Lisbon), Filippo Bonini Baraldi, (INET-md, NOVA University Lisbon), (François Picard, Institut de Recherche en Musicologie, Paris),  Frank Kouwenhoven  (CHIME, Leiden), Helen Rees (UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, Los Angeles), Nicolas Prévôt (Université Paris Nanterre), Pedro Roxo, (INET-md, NOVA University Lisbon), Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco (INET-md, NOVA University Lisbon), Shao Xiao Ling (DeCA, University of Aveiro), Susana Sardo (INET-md, DeCA, University of Aveiro).

The Programme Committee consists of: Enio de Souza (Chair) Maria Teresa Lacerda, Nathália Andrião, and Pedro Roxo, all based at INET-md, NOVA University Lisbon.

Organization, Sponsorship and Support: Institute of Ethnomusicology, INET-md, NOVA FCSH -- European Foundation for Chinese Music Research (CHIME) -- Fundação Jorge Álvares -- Câmara Municipal de Mafra -- Instituto Confúcio da Universidade do Minho -- Instituto Confúcio da Universidade de Aveiro -- Instituto Confúcio da Universidade de Lisboa -- Instituto Internacional de Macau -- Fundação Casa de Macau -- Museu Nacional de Música -- Centro de Estudos em Música (CESEM – NOVA FCSH) -- Centro de Investigação em Psicologia da Música e Educação Musical (CIPEM, P. PORTO) -- Instituto de Estudos Asiáticos, Universidade Católica Portuguesa -- Museu Medeiros e Almeida -- Instituto do Oriente -- Associação dos Amigos da Rota da Seda -- Associação dos Amigos da Cultura Chinesa -- Casa de Macau -- Centro de Línguas e Culturas Shumin -- Ibéria Universal, LDA -- Rádio Arco Iris