China News Service, Shanghai, April 3 (Reporter Fan Yubin) The "Great Love Symphony Casts a Chapter" theme event to pay tribute to Mr. Cao Peng kicked off on the 2nd at the Yunjian Granary Cultural and Creative Park in Songjiang District, Shanghai. The famous Chinese conductor and music educator Cao Peng and his wife Huiling attended the opening ceremony. At the event, autistic children from the "Angel Friend Salon" performed quintet and dance performances.
Cao Peng (second from left) visits the "Mr. Cao Peng's 80th Anniversary of Art Exhibition". Photo by Yang Shuhan
Cao Peng has long been famous in the international music scene. His conducting style is majestic and meticulous, and his performances reveal his profound understanding of life. For decades, he has devoted himself to the work of popularizing elegant music at the grassroots level, bringing symphony closer to the hearts of the public. In his later years, he had great love and devoted himself to using music to "embrace" autistic children and open the "window of the soul" for them.
Cao Peng said: "The popularization and dissemination of symphony is an important way to improve the cultural quality of the people. Popularization is like paving the way. Only by paving the way can we continue to climb. I hope that my baton will become a bridge for the people to enter the temple of music."
This event was specially chosen to start on the "World Autism Awareness Day" to call on society to care for the autistic community.
In 2008, with the support of the Shanghai Charity Foundation, Cao Peng and his family established the "Angel Friend Salon" for autistic children to open up the minds of autistic children by learning music and playing musical instruments. In 2018, through joint construction with the China Children and Teenagers' Foundation, the "Love Coffee" Autism Social Practice Base was established for autistic children. In addition, Cao Peng also initiated China's first special concert for caring for autism, which has been held for 13 consecutive years.
Mr. Cao Peng’s 80th anniversary as an artist. Photo by Yang Shuhan
It is reported that the themed activities to pay tribute to Mr. Cao Peng include "Mr. Cao Peng's 80th Anniversary Style Exhibition", "Fucheng Symphony" special concert, "Angel Friend" star concert, music popularization lectures, etc., allowing the public to get involved in the art of symphony and care about themselves. Dementia charity.
Among them, the "Exhibition of Mr. Cao Peng's 80th Anniversary of Art" mainly displays photos of Cao Peng's art and life, using pictures and texts combined with physical objects to display. It is mainly divided into "War Years", "Studying Abroad Career", "Popularization of Symphony" and "Great Love without Borders". "Cao Peng and his friends" has five sections, and has set up a video display area, tribute to Grandpa Cao and other content.
The exhibition also displays vinyl records signed by Cao Peng, music scores, conductor batons, gramophones, program notes, paintings, photographs, sculptures and other precious objects that are representative, rich in the memory of the times and have historical value. (over)