Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Dean Andy Belser and Glenn Korff School of Music Director Felix Olschofka led a delegation of faculty, staff and alumni to Vietnam in October to continue building connections and recruit for the Global Arts Academy.
“We spend a lot of time planning a trip like this to Vietnam, and we are incredibly thankful to Liana Sandin for sponsoring our travels and also for going along with us,” said Andy Belser, dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. “It’s hard to imagine how this trip could have been more productive. We have been invited by Vietnamese conservatories, government officials and many high schools for a March 2025 trip, during which we will offer many workshops and sign partnership agreements. The future of our Global Arts Academy holds great promise as a new college and UNL international strategic initiative.”
Joining the delegation were three Glenn Korff School of Music faculty members—Professor of Cello Karen Becker, Assistant Professor of Voice Suna Gunther and Associate Professor of Dance Susan Ourada—and two Glenn Korff School of Music alumni—Madeline Rogers (D.M.A. Piano Performance 2021) and Dieu Thao Duong (B.A. Dance 2021)—along with international student recruitment coordinator Katia Duszenko.
Some of the cities and schools visited include Renaissance International School in Ho Chi Minh City, Erato School of Music & Performing Arts In Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory, the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi, The Olympia Schools in Hanoi, and Reigate Grammar School in Hanoi.
“This was an incredible journey—five performances and 16 masterclasses in just six days,” Olschofka said. “Our final concert at the Vietnam National Academy of Music on Oct. 19 was the perfect closing.”
Belser and Olschofka also met with education and government officials during the trip.
“In sports terms, our meeting on Oct. 16 with top government officials from the Ministry of Culture in Hanoi was a grand slam, paving the way for exciting future collaborations between the Glenn Korff School of Music and music conservatories across Vietnam, including the other schools of the Hixson-Lied College,” Olschofka said.
While much of the focus of the trip was on music and dance, the Global Arts Academy also drew significant interest from Vietnamese partners in fine arts, graphic design, musical theatre, film, and emerging media arts.
“We are in the process of crafting a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture to establish future exchange programs for students and faculty,” Olschofka said. “These programs will include opportunities to teach, perform and conduct research at performing arts schools and conservatories throughout Vietnam. As part of this collaboration, we also plan to invite students and faculty from Vietnamese performing arts institutions to visit the UNL campus, our college and our individual units. This partnership aims to foster a dynamic exchange of knowledge, culture and artistic innovation, further enriching both communities.”
Gunther taught vocal masterclasses at Erato School, Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory, Vietnam National Academy of Music and Olympia Schools.
“The students I worked with ranged from high school to post-college levels, but singers at all levels seemed interested in continuing their vocal education in a formalized way,” she said. “Some came to singing later in their lives, and they seemed especially eager to learn as much as they could about their technique and artistry and to stay connected with UNL after our visit. It was wonderful to get to know each of these students and watch them grow in the brief time I had with each of them. I was impressed and honored to work with them.”
Gunther also performed with colleagues at the Renaissance International School, Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory, Reigate Grammar School and the Vietnam National Academy of Music.
“It was really a gift to make music with Glenn Korff School of Music faculty members who I primarily see day-to-day in meetings and in the hallways, and to watch them shine in their element,” she said. “It was especially wonderful to share those stages with Glenn Korff School of Music alumni and to see how they’ve flourished in their careers and artistry after graduation. The collaborations we shared across genres and disciplines stretched beyond our own group to the musicians and dancers we met.”
Ourada taught a dance workshop at Erato School with dance alumna Duong.
“She and I planned a few exercises for the students since we had no idea what the level of their training would be,” she said. “It turned out that the students were all at a fairly beginner level of dance, but Dieu Thao and I were able to get the students moving very nicely. It was amazing to reconnect with an alumna who was such an important part of our program when she attended UNL. Someone from the Ministry of Arts who I met at the Olympia School said that Vietnam is a young country, and they are eager to have access to contemporary arts. There isn’t a lot of dance embedded in the conservatories, so it feels like a great opportunity for UNL to co-create a right fit for these organizations.”
Gunther said they had many opportunities to share the universality of collaborative arts.
“From our string faculty joining a student orchestra for their concert to my jamming with a jazz pianist backstage before one of ours, our ensemble trading off with students between classical and rap music in a joint lunchtime concert and sharing ideas about new musical theatre with high school faculty these experiences made a great impact on me as both an artist and an educator. Cultural exchange is artistic exchange in so many ways,” she said.
Gunther said that is why programs like the Global Arts Academy are so important.
“In a world where culture is increasingly delivered through the internet, it puts a real-life, human face on artistic connection,” she said. “And that connection and understanding can affect so much more than what happens on stage.”
Ourada said the arts can be a language that brings us together.
“For Nebraskans, bringing little slices of the world here is a chance for them to engage with like-minded people from far away, to see how as Maya Angelou said, ‘We are more alike than unalike,’” she said. “The same feature would be true for the incoming folks, and I would hope that chances for domestic students to travel abroad would also be enhanced.”
Olschofka said the college is invested in bringing international music and dance students to the UNL campus.
“We believe they will learn invaluable skills and perspectives that will shape them as artists and as global citizens,” he said. “By immersing themselves in a rich, interdisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration, they will refine their craft, broaden their understanding of diverse traditions, and gain exposure to innovative approaches in music and dance. At UNL we are committed to cultivating a vibrant, inclusive community where international students feel empowered to share their unique perspectives while building bridges of understanding that transcend borders. In doing so, they enrich their own educational journeys, but also contribute to the artistic and cultural vitality of our campus and beyond.”
They also will have access to our state-of-the-art facilities, including the new music building with its sound recording studio and immersive performance hall and Kimball Recital Hall.
“This allows them to experiment, perform, and grow in a supportive and dynamic academic setting,” he said. “Beyond technical proficiency, they will gain insights into the cultural, historical and social dimensions of the performing arts, equipping them to become leaders and advocates in their fields.”
The Global Arts Academy aims to recruit world-class students through a curated four-year program that immerses a cohort of both international and domestic students in a transformative academic and co-curricular experience.
This fall the Hixson-Lied College welcomed its first cohort for the Global Arts Academy, which included three international students from India, Nepal and Vietnam and four domestic students from Colorado, Nevada and Nebraska.
For more information on the Global Arts Academy, visit https://arts.unl.edu/global-arts-academy.