Dr. Xun Sun, Music Director and Conductor for the Orchestra of Southern Utah received a Board of Trustees Award of Excellence at the SUU Commencement. We are honored to have such a wonderful leader and appreciate his pursuit of world peace through music. Here's the notice in the commencement program:
"Associate professor of music, Dr. Xun Sun, has taken Southern Utah University's performing arts students ar beyond anywhere they could have imagined, creating a variety of educational, creative and cultural engagement opportunities for students, faculty and staff. Dr. Sun was a catalyst in educational outreach between SUU and universities and professional arts organizations in his native China.
With his vision and enthusiasm that requires no translation, Xun has gained access for SUU performers to the Renmin University's School of Art and Peking University in Beijing, the Hubei Symphony Orchestra, the Hubei Opera and Dance Drama Theatre, the Hubei International Arts Festival, the Huazhong Normal University and the International Cultural Exchange Center of Hubei Province and the China Central Normal University of Changsha. Much of that work focused on the theatrical dance production of 'The Dream of Helen', inspired by Helen Foster Snow, a native of Cedar City. Dr. Sun served as both literal and figurative conductor, helping performers meet the challenges of an international production.
Beyond the arts, Dr. Sun has assisted in additional partnerships for SUU, including a Mandarin instructional exchange with Hunana Normal University and a leadership role over the American Studies Center of Changsha. Among artists and educators the campus and world over, Dr. sun is the common denominator in every one of these successful partnerships. He is an accomplished violinist, world-class conductor, and the music director and conductor for the Orchestra of Southern Utah."
So, when you notice the statue of Helen Foster Snow at the city park you'll be reminded how fortunate we are to have Dr. Sun at the help of our orchestra because this is another project that he motivated and saw through to completion. We wish him well on his upcoming performances in China and will be pleased to have him back in Utah for our upcoming season.
Ling and Xun Sun with former mayor Joe Burgess and one of several delegations from China to Cedar City. In this case a composer and musician who were here for a concert featuring Chinese music. In addition to all the items in the citation, Dr. Sun arranged for several OSU musicians to visit China for a joint orchestra performance which included projections of Utah scenery. Ling and Xun have hosted numerous Chinese delegations over the past several years and continue to promote American music in China and Chinese music in America as a peace building effort between the two countries. He has done all of this while earning a Doctorate in Music from Columbia University in New York, teaching at SUU, and conducting our orchestra.
