Around the Music Festival

Chinese composer Chen Gang passed away in Shanghai on July 18 at the age of 91. A member of China’s first post-war generation of composers, he rose to fame in 1959—while still a student at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music—with the violin concerto 《The Butterfly Lovers》, created in collaboration with his junior colleague He Zhanhao. He subsequently served as a professor at his alma mater for many years.

A native of Shanghai and a member of the Hui ethnic group (Muslim), he was the son of Chen Gexin, a composer known for creating numerous works, including popular songs and China’s first musical, 《Xi Shi》. He received early instruction in piano and composition from his father and went on to study composition at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

《The Butterfly Lovers》 is based on the tragic folk tale of the same name—often described as the “Chinese 《Romeo and Juliet》”—and stands alongside the 《Yellow River》 Piano Concerto as one of the defining works of Chinese classical music. It premiered in Shanghai on May 27, 1959, performed by the student orchestra of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

PHOTO：Shanghai Conservatory of Music　/　Ti Gong