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This summer, a select group of Meadows music students journeyed across the world with Director of Choral Activities Margaret Winchell and Division of Musicdirector Thomas Keck to participate in the Bond with Kuliang 2025: U.S.-China Youth Choir Exchange Festival. Hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the festival brought together nearly 30 choirs from the U.S. and China to celebrate cultural exchange through the universal language of music.

A cohort of 32 Meadows music students, made up of voice, music education, and other majors, prepared through intensive “boot camp” rehearsals in May and July before heading to China. The festival began in the coastal city of Fuzhou, which is home to a well-known summer resort called Kuliang that hosted many Chinese and foreign families in the early 20th century. This setting provided a meaningful backdrop to the exchange’s mission of cross-cultural friendship for the start of the festival.


Meadows students and faculty attended a welcome banquet on their first night in Fuzhou, China where they saw performances by Chinese music and dance groups and socialized with singers from other choirs and members of CPAFFC leadership.


During the festival, Meadows students shared stages with a diverse lineup that included ensembles from U.S. institutions like Brigham Young University, the University of Michigan, and Utah Valley University, as well as Chinese choirs ranging from middle school age through university level.

“The stylistic diversity across the ensembles was astounding,” says Winchell of the wide array of musical arrangements and opportunities. “Performing in varied contexts—indoors and outdoors, with and without amplification, and in assorted concert halls, schools, and theaters—taught all of us adaptability as performers.”

The Meadows students joined other ensembles for bilingual rehearsals, music exchanges at prestigious local arts colleges like the Fujian Vocational College of Art and the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, and even a joyful “pop-up” performance in a busy shopping district. And the trip offered more than just memorable music-making.

“My favorite part of the trip was having conversations with other U.S. and Chinese students about culture, music and personal passions,” reflects Noah Ochieng, a music education undergraduate student on the trip. “I realized that even with such different cultural experiences, there was so much I had in common with Chinese and American singers around me.”


Meadows students and faculty visited the Juyong Pass section of the Great Wall of China during their stay.


The final days of the trip took the students to Beijing, where they performed for distinguished guests, including Peng Liyuan, the wife of President Xi Jinping. A few ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ singers were selected to join a special small-ensemble exchange with top students from other choirs. Between musical moments, the group toured historic and cultural sites like the Forbidden City and the Great Wall—a literal and symbolic summit to conclude their journey.

“This tour was a transformative opportunity for our students, for Margaret Winchell, and for the division at large,” says Keck of the festival. “Beyond the musical achievements, it was deeply gratifying to witness the camaraderie and mutual support that developed among our students. They demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a profound sense of community—qualities that enriched both their musical and personal growth.”