Lama Ngodup Dorji (XVth Lineage Lama of Shingkhar), Thakur Singh Powdyel (former Minister of Education of Bhutan), Keng Sonam Dorji (Executive Director of the Music of Bhutan Research Centre)

Harmony and Compassion - Music in Buddhist Ritual is a three-day online conference and performance series featuring scholars, educators, composers, lamas, monks, and musicians demonstrating the ways that music is used in Buddhist practice, from the most traditional to the most contemporary of forms. The final day of the conference takes us on a virtual journey to the Kingdom of Bhutan, “the happiest country on earth.” This all-new event has been produced by the US-China Music Institute in collaboration with Sonam Dorji, director of the Music of Bhutan Research Centre. Artists and speakers have been selected to describe and demonstrate how the ceremonial music of Bhutan and individual chanting performance lend to the overall sense of well-being famously enjoyed by its citizens. Following the panel discussion, the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions directly to the speakers via Zoom.