Chen Gang Chen Gang

Chen Gang (Chinese: 陈钢; born 1935) is a Chinese composer who is notable for composing the Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto.^[1] He is the son of Chen Gexin, a songwriter active in the 1930s and 1940s in Shanghai. Chen Gang started to learn piano and composition from his father and music teachers from a young age. From 1955 to 1959, Chen Gang was a student at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, studying composition. In 1959, Chen Gang, together with another student, He Zhanhao, composed the violin concerto Butterfly Lovers. In his composition career, he composed and recomposed many classics in China, including Butterfly Lovers, Miaolin's Morning, and The Golden Steel Smelting Furnace. He also composed one of the most difficult violin solo pieces: Sun Shines in Tushkurgan.

Early years

Chen Gang was born in 1935 in Shanghai. He studied piano and composition. His talents were evident early, and he entered Shanghai Conservatory of Music to study music. In 1958, there was an event for composing a concerto (or song) for the People's Republic of China's tenth anniversary. He and his friend He Zhanhao were given the task.

Career

Chen and Zhanhao had three suggestions: the first was to write a song about fighting, the second was to write a song about steel making, and the third was to write a song based on the legend The Butterfly Lovers. The director of the school insisted on the third option.

After completing the song, they performed the concerto in front of the propaganda minister of Shanghai. They then played The Butterfly Lovers in public on 1 October. The concerto was successful and began Chen Gang's career as a composer.