[Science, Education, Culture and Health] Conductor Cao Peng has been in the art industry for 80 years: music must serve society
China News Service, Shanghai, April 2, Title: Conductor Cao Peng has been in the art industry for 80 years: Music must serve society
Author Fan Yubin
The theme event of "Symphony of Great Love" to pay tribute to Mr. Cao Peng was held in Shanghai on the 2nd, and the "Exhibition of Mr. Cao Peng's 80th Anniversary of Art" opened simultaneously.
Cao Peng is a famous conductor in China. He is still on stage at the age of 99 this year. He was the first person to introduce the violin concerto "Butterfly Lovers" to the world. In Shanghai, Cao Peng's name is closely linked to the popularization of symphony music and art education. He believes, “Music is about serving society.”
A reporter from China News Service recently went to Cao Peng's home for an interview and saw that the entrance door was decorated with cello panels, which seemed to tell visitors that a musician lived inside. When I saw Cao Peng, he was sitting on the sofa, leaning on a cane, and his eyes were bright. The living room is filled with various honorary medals and souvenirs.
Recently, the famous Chinese conductor Cao Peng accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Service in Shanghai. Photo by Fan Yubin
Cao Peng worked at Beijing Film Studio in his early years and scored scores for dozens of Chinese films such as "Longxugou". In 1955, he was admitted to the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music. In 1960, Cao Peng, who was studying in Moscow, conducted a special concert of Chinese symphony works, performing "Butterfly Lovers" and other Chinese works overseas for the first time.
In December 2023, the 98-year-old Cao Peng conducted "Butterfly Lovers" again at his birthday concert. Cao Peng said that the feeling of being on stage at an old age is the same as when he was young. He hopes that this song will attract more people to pay attention to Chinese works.
With 80 years of performing arts career, Cao Peng has led the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra abroad many times and has long been committed to popularizing music. He believes that popularity is more important than performance.
In 2005, Cao Peng founded China's first non-professional symphony orchestra - Shanghai City Symphony Orchestra (hereinafter referred to as "City Symphony Orchestra") at his own expense. From then on, every Wednesday night, musicians came from all over to indulge in two hours of rehearsals. No reward, just a musical dream.
Cao Peng takes every rehearsal seriously. He said: "The symphony orchestra can be amateur, but there is no amateur in symphony performance, it must be professional level." Today, "Urban Music" has more than 200 members, many of whom are foreign music lovers working and living in the Yangtze River Delta.
Recently, a symphony concert with the theme of "Love in Spring - Grandpa Cao Peng and His Children" was held on the stage of the 39th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival. (Photo courtesy of Cao Xiaoxia)
In 2008, Cao Peng's daughter Cao Xiaoxia accidentally learned about the current situation and plight of the autistic community, and she immediately proposed to her father to perform a charity performance for autistic children in Shanghai. "My father said that music can open their ears and reach their hearts. It can open their hearts and make them willing to communicate with us," Cao Xiaoxia said. As a result, they established the "Angel Friend Salon". The members of "City Friendship" were all volunteers in the salon, and Cao Peng became the oldest volunteer.
"After the salon was held, we found that as soon as the music started, these children who were noisy and couldn't sit still gradually became quiet." Cao Xiaoxia said that they realized the possibility and took advantage of the opportunity to teach children with autism. Learn music and instruments. Whenever there was an opportunity, he led his children to perform on stage with "City Friends" and also toured abroad many times.
In Cao Peng's heart, these children are all unique "children of the stars", and their little changes have rekindled hope for each family.
Although children with autism have made progress that is unimaginable to ordinary people, Cao Peng's team did not stop there. Cao Peng believes that learning music is not only to open the ears of these children, but also to learn cultural knowledge so that they can have more connections with the world. To this end, they have launched care projects for autistic children such as "Love Classroom" and "Love Coffee" to help children learn to communicate, master knowledge, acquire skills, and integrate into society.
"My father is relatively tolerant. The children like him very much and call him 'Grandpa Cao'." Cao Xiaoxia said that his father has requirements for autistic children, but he has his own methods. "He is good at training in his own way when the rehearsal tone is not accurate or the rhythm is wrong. For example, if the rhythm is wrong, he will pretend to fall and use body language to make the children understand."
Today, these autistic children can perform world-famous songs. Cao Peng said that he persisted because he saw the progress of the children.
Over the past 80 years, Cao Peng has taken "improving the musical literacy of the Chinese nation" as his mission, going to campuses, leading orchestras, and doing charity work. He believes that if a nation does not improve its artistic literacy, it will have no future.
"With the passage of time, people will see the true meaning of Cao Peng's efforts, and understand the true value of Cao Peng's long-term unremitting efforts." He Luting, a famous musician and educator, once said of Cao Peng Peng.
Cao Peng told reporters that he plans to hold another concert when he is 100 years old and perform with autistic children. (over)