chen gang, chen gexin, chinese communist party, chinese popular music, jin jiaoli, shanghai

The Legendary Origin of the Violin Concerto ‘Butterfly Lovers’

One of the most famous Chinese works of orchestral music is the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto. It is based on the legendary tragic love story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai and is also called “Liang Zhu” in Chinese, which is a combination of the family names of the central protagonists. This work has been ...

Michael Segarty

A monument to Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, Asia's 'Romeo and Juliet.'

Music Star Chen Gexin and His Fateful Encounter With the CCP (Part 2)

When he first returned to Shanghai full of hope and looking forward to a new life back home, Chen Gexin was highly regarded nationally. He came to work as a composer at the Shanghai Film Studio. He was employed by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to teach composition and orchestration. However, at that time, like ...

Michael Segarty

Black and white photo of Chen Gexin.

Music Star Chen Gexin and His Fateful Encounter With the CCP (Part 1)

Popular singing star Chen Gexin was born in Shanghai. His original name was Chen Changshou. Shanghai in those days was renowned as the cultural capital of China and held center stage for artists. It was the epicenter of drama, movies, and song and dance. Chen Gexin was a musical genius. He never studied music professionally ...

Michael Segarty

Black and white photo of Chen Gexin.