The Center on Chinese Education at Teachers College, Columbia University warmly invites students, faculty, alumni, and friends to join the 2026 Spring Festival Gala in celebration of the Year of the Horse through music, art, receptions, and cultural activities. We look forward to gathering with our community to mark the arrival of the New Year together.
The event is free and open to the public.
ποΈ Registration is required. Please fill out this form to register.
Event Information
π
Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026
π Time: 4:00–7:00 PM (Eastern Time)
π Locations:
-
Gala Performances: 4:00–6:00 PM
Milbank Chapel -
Food & Cultural Exchange: 6:00–7:00 PM
Everett Lounge
Distinguished Speakers
President Thomas Bailey
President of Teachers College, Columbia University
Vice President Zhen Kang
Vice President of Beijing Normal University; Professor and Doctoral Supervisor
Dr. Thomas P. Rock
Vice President for Community & Student Affairs of Teachers College, Columbia University
Professor Mingyuan Gu
Distinguished Educator;
Former Vice President of Beijing Normal University
Ms. Yue-Sai Kan
Television Host, Author, and Entrepreneur; Co-Chair of China Institute;
UNICEF “Children’s Ambassador” (2001);
Professor Xishuang Yao
Former Director of the Department of Language Application and Administration, Ministry of Education of China;
President of China Association for Modernization of Chinese Language;
Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Communication University of China
Mr. Zhenyu Zhang
Proposer of the Spring Festival UNESCO Heritage Nomination;
President, Henan Western Returned Scholars Association
Mr. Jian Wang
Senior Director and Producer;
Honorary President of the Australian International Cultural Industry Association;
Featured Performers
Dr. Chen Wang
A pianist and the initiator of the “Love and Peace Journey” World Piano Concert Tour, becoming the first musician to receive joint support from the United Nations and multiple international organizations. She has performed on major international stages, including the United Nations, Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, with performances spanning Asia, Europe, and the Americas. By integrating Eastern and Western musical languages, she builds bridges for cross-cultural understanding and dialogue, and is actively engaged across music, education, cultural diplomacy, and public welfare.
Dr. Mike He
Bass-baritone Mike He frequents the classical music scene in New York City as an oratorio and operatic singer. He studied at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University with Carol Cavey-Miles and at Columbia University with Robert Osborne. He is a regular soloist with the Barnard-Columbia Chorus and has performed as a soloist with the Academic Choir of Gdynia Maritime University (Poland), the Choir of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy), and the Choeur Universitaire de Lausanne (Switzerland). Past roles include the title role of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Raphael in Haydn’s The Creation, and Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Mike is also a Music Ambassador of New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, where he serves as a promoter of classical music through guided tours and education programs.
Kervy Delcy
Kervy Delcy is a composer, poet, writer, global arts leader, and founder of Vox Feminarum, whose work explores the intersections of creation and international collaboration. Her experience as a composer and conductor informs her perspective, offering both technical insight and narrative depth. Delcy writes on orchestral innovation, experimental sound art, and Caribbean polyrhythms, highlighting music’s expressive and cultural significance. She also composes and directs original works integrating text, movement, and sound, fostering a deeper understanding of music as art and lived experience.
Prof. Yong Ge
A renowned pipa virtuoso, Professor at the China Conservatory of Music, and doctoral supervisor. Recipient of the CCTV Top Ten Young Pipa Performers title. Review expert for the Degree Center of the Ministry of Education and a member of the Chinese Musicians Association. Served as a judge for major national competitions, including the CCTV National Folk Instrumental Music Competition, the China Instrumental Music Competition of China Media Group, and the China Golden Bell Award for Music, as well as an evaluator for multiple provincial- and ministerial-level research projects. Has performed extensively in over twenty countries and regions worldwide.
Zhi Zhang
A young female soprano singer from China studying in the United States, a vocal music professor. She studied under Professor Qiu Shuwei and the renowned vocal music educator Zhou Xiaoyan. Graduated with a Master of Music (M.M.) in Vocal Performance and Opera Studies from New York University and won the New York University Gold Medal. She studied under the famous vocal music educator Brian Gill. She has participated in many operas such as "Lammermoor's Lucia", "The Heart of a Woman", and "The Artist's Life", and has won numerous domestic and international vocal music awards. She is currently a member of the American Vocal Music Teachers Association.
The Center on Chinese Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, warmly invites students, faculty, alumni, and friends to join the 2026 Spring Festival Gala in celebration of the Year of the Horse through music, art, receptions, and cultural activities. This annual gathering highlights the role of cultural traditions in fostering dialogue and community at Teachers College.
* Kindly Reminder: The seat is limited, Registration is required. Please fill out this form to register.