From the Archives

On 24-25 October 2026, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive celebrated its 65^th anniversary.  Officially established in 1961, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is a world-renowned research archive dedicated to the study of musical traditions from around the globe.  The Archive’s collection of nearly 200,000 audio, video, print, and photographi

Hua Wenyi (1941–2022) was one of the most influential Kunqu opera performers of her generation. Born and trained in Shanghai, China, she rose to prominence as a leading dan (refined female-role) performer and later served as the director of the Shanghai Kun Opera Company.

"Exploring the Hua Wenyi Collection on California Revealed" by Mei-Chen Chen.

A World of Asian Percussion and Dance: Immersive Workshops for Educational Institutions in Los Angeles by Helen Rees and Learsi Martinez, UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology.

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 Inst

The UCLA Ethnomusicology Department was honored to host the annual conference of the Society for Ethnomusicology Southern California and Hawai'i Chapter (SEMSCHC) on March 1-2, 2025, at UCLA. This year's conference held special significance as it marked the 70th anniversary of Mantle Hood's arrival at UCLA, a momentous occasion honoring the visionary founder of the then Institute, now Department of Ethnomusicology. 

Bette Yarbrough Cox (1921-2017) was a music educator in Los Angeles for more than 30 years, the founder of the BEEM (Black Experience as Expressed through Music) Foundation for the Advancement of Music, a Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of Los Angeles, and a longtime friend of former Mayor Tom Bradley.

On 22 May 2023, the UCLA academic community and Filipinx American performing artists celebrated the launch of the Danongan Kalanduyan Collection on California Revealed.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ETHNOMUSICOLOGY ARCHIVE ON ITS 60^TH BIRTHDAY!