"Over the past 70 years, the department has made remarkable achievements in talent cultivation, academic development, musical creation, cultural heritage, international outreach and public service," said Yu Hongmei, president of the Central Conservatory of Music.
Yu, a veteran erhu player, who began studying traditional instruments at the conservatory's affiliated middle school at the age of 12, has spent more than four decades at the institution. She described herself as a beneficiary, witness, participant and contributor to the department's development.
