CHEN GANG

Chen Gang was born in Shanghai in 1935. He is a well-known contemporary symphony music composer.

In his early years, he learned from his father Mr. Chen Gexin and Mr. Wallachia, an Hungarian pianist, on piano and composition. He was enrolled into the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1955, with advisors been Mr. Ding Shande, the president of the school, as well as Arzamanoff from Soviet Union, his major was focused in the field of music theory and composition. Before graduate,he has already composed well-known Violin Concerto The Butterfly Lovers as a joint effort with his school mate Mr. He Zhanhao.

“The Butterfly Lovers”composed in 1959, is one of the most widely circulated Chinese symphonic music in the world. It has won several golden and platinum record awards. In addition, Chen Gang created the Red Violin series in 1970’s, noteworthy pieces were Dawn at the Miao Mountain, Golden Furnace and Sun Shining Taxkorgan, of which contributed to the great collection of modern Chinese violin music. In 1986, he created Violin Concerto Wang Zhaojun, which has been called the companion piece of The Butterfly Lovers, and won the Excellent Award at the performance meet of“newly composed Chinese violin concerto works”. Wang Zhaojun was performed in Dallas, TX of the United Satates in1997, at the time when Chen Gang was granted an honorable citizen of the City of Dallas. His next violin concerto piece, Dream at the Red Chamber, composed in 2008, and was successfully performed at the“Shanghai Spring International Music Festival”.

Chen Gang also composed a first Chinese Harp Solo piece named Humming On A Fishing Boat and a first Chinese Oboe Concerto Nang Ma ——A Tibetan Chamber Music”. In his“Humming On A Fishing Boat”, he represented the essence flavor of ancient Chinese music played from“Gu Zheng”. His Oboe Concerto received critique as“having Beauty, drama, excitement and atmosphere all in one”. Chen Gang’s music is very visual. He has created musical imagery which evokes the landscape of China.

Chen Gang is currently a professor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and a key member of Chinese Music Association. He has visited the Unites States, Canada, Britain, France, Japan, Singapore Malaysia and other countries, and was treated with great respect and admiration. In 1995 he was awarded a certification of“International Cultural Honor”by United States Biographical Centre. In 2002, he also won Sika Mo Awards in Hollywood, for his excellent contribution to the music world, as well as for his efforts in building up a bridge to promote cultural exchange between China and the United States.