"Music as an art, it can cultivate the power of life", the second lecture of the high-end cultural lecture hall "Everyone Says" (the second season) was held in the afternoon of November 25 in the Chinese creative design industry base, and the 96-year-old national first-class conductor Cao Peng told his musical life.
The first conductor to perform Chinese works abroad, a key figure in the new Chinese music conducting circle, an individual with outstanding contributions to the performing arts of the State Council, an advanced worker in the national cultural system, a music artist with lifelong achievements, a charity model award of the 11th China Charity Award, a national advanced disabled person, and the most beautiful volunteer in the country... Although Cao Peng, who has a series of titles, has entered his old age, he is still deaf and clear-sighted and spiritual. His demeanor and vitality infected the audience.
Cao Peng's conducting style has been evaluated as steady, clear and courageous, and the handling of works is meticulous, profound and passionate, which seems to be a true portrayal of Cao Peng and his people. From the heroic struggle as a soldier in his youth and the enthusiasm to serve the country, to the excellence and profound cultivation of a conductor in his prime, and then to the feelings of home and country and deep love as a public welfare undertaking now, what has not changed is Cao Peng's unswerving faith in music, art and cultural forces.
Tough times, but with a brave and strong spirit
At the age of 19, he joined the New Fourth Army to engage in anti-Japanese activities, and once crossed the Yellow River three times under enemy artillery fire... In addition to his role as a commander, Cao Peng is also an excellent guerrilla of the People's Liberation Army. In February 1944, Cao Peng and his classmates secretly arrived at the guerrilla base area to join the New Fourth Army, and changed the name from the original "Cao Canfu" to "Cao Peng", after the surrender of the Japanese army in August 1945, Cao Peng first entered the Central China Construction University to study, and during this time met Hui Ling, who later became his wife, and then entered the Department of Literature and Art of Shandong University to study command.
"My wife and I joined the Platon Guerrillas in 1944, when she joined the army at the age of 14, and I joined the party in 1946, because she did not join the party before she was 18 years old, she had to wait for four years, and her waiting period was the longest." Cao Peng recalled that in the era of war, it was not easy to pass through the enemy's blockade line, and with Japanese soldiers and puppet troops holding bayonets, Cao Peng went through hardships and dangers and secretly broke through the enemy's blockade line to the liberated areas through underground work in Jiangyin.
In the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the subsequent War of Liberation, Cao Peng won the second class merit twice and the ordinary merit many times. Cao Peng said that at that time, joining the party was top secret, the liberated areas were very complicated, and there were many spies and traitors. "We formed a small detachment of five or six party members in a cultural and labor troupe, and the masses didn't know that you were a party member. Sometimes the masses will ask, whether you are a party member, we will not answer positively", the words reflect the hardships of that era, even if life is hard, "but our spiritual outlook is very brave, very strong." ”
"I have never left music, and my musical experience is closely linked to the War of Resistance Against Japan. In our time, we played for the vast number of soldiers, so we used the music of battle to boost morale," Cao Peng said.
Let the world understand China through music
Cao Peng, who was born in a generational family of scholars in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, represented the school at the age of 9 to participate in the "anti-Japanese anti-smoking" singing competition held in Jiangyin County and won the first place, after which the school's music teacher began to focus on cao Peng's training, "We had a band in the primary school at that time, the band had a flute in it, I let me blow it when I was young, and this flute has always followed me" Cao Peng said that his musical life began step by step.
In 1949, Cao Peng came to Shanghai, joined the Shanghai Film Studio, and jointly established the "Shanghai Film Studio Symphony Orchestra" (now the "Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra") with Lu Qiming. In 1954, the Moscow Conservatory of Music went to China to enroll, and Cao Peng won the quota of the Ministry of Culture for further study by virtue of his musical strength, and went to Moscow to study in 1955.
Cao Peng, who studied in Moscow, like other international students, read the People's Daily sent to them by the embassy every day, and one day, the People's Daily published the Shanghai "Liang Zhu" concerto that aroused his interest, and he asked his lover to send him a book of music. After that, Cao Peng served as the conductor at the first special concert of "Chinese Symphony Works" held overseas, and the violin concerto "Liang Zhu" composed by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao, which had just appeared, was also performed at the meeting, and Cao Peng became the first person to introduce the violin concerto "Liang Zhu" overseas. The success of this concert caused a huge sensation.
After graduation, Cao Peng returned to China and served as a conductor in the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, officially opening his glorious years as a music conductor. With a deep sense of home and country, Cao Peng led the orchestra to visit and perform in various countries in the world, so that Chinese music wandered in a foreign country. Cao Peng said: "I think that letting the world understand China through music is the responsibility of Chinese conductors. ”
Passion and dedication to public service, demonstrating a humanitarian spirit
If the success of the music career represents Cao Peng's profound cultivation and pursuit of excellence as a conductor, the enthusiasm and dedication to public undertakings over the years show Cao Peng's precious humanitarian spirit as an artist.
In 1995, at the age of 70, Cao Peng officially retired, but he consciously began to take on the responsibility of popularizing and disseminating music. Popularization is not an easy task, but even if it is difficult, we must unswervingly do it. Cao Peng always believes, "Life with music is not lost." Improving the musical quality of the entire Chinese nation is my real pursuit. "A nation, if it does not improve its artistic literacy, there is no future.
In 2005, Cao Peng set up the Shanghai City Symphony Orchestra at his own expense, which is the first non-professional symphony orchestra in Chinese mainland, and has held hundreds of symphony performances in the past ten years since its establishment, so that the symphony music form has penetrated into the broad masses of the people, and the Shanghai City Symphony Orchestra has been awarded the glorious title of "Advanced Unit for Promoting Learning Groups" by the Shanghai Municipal Government, and Cao Peng is also known as "the hero of popularizing symphony". The "Shanghai Student Symphony Orchestra", "Shanghai City Youth Symphony Orchestra", the Wind Orchestra and the Folk Orchestra of the Shanghai Medical Workers' Union, etc., also continued Cao Peng's belief in the cause of music popularization, because the city needs more music groups, more people who like music, he firmly believes that the spirit of music is the spirit of culture, "culture is the foundation of a country, culture is prosperous, culture is strong and the country is strong." In addition, Cao Peng has also sincerely invested his own efforts in social welfare undertakings.
In 2008, with the support of the Shanghai Charity Foundation, Cao Peng and his eldest daughter Cao Xiaoxia established the "Angel Confidant Salon" for autistic children, learning music and playing musical instruments to open the hearts of autistic children, and many families began to feel happiness and hope again. He became the "Grandpa Cao" in the hearts of those children, and children with autism would sometimes suddenly hug him and wish him a life of 100 years old, Cao Peng frankly said: "This is my greatest comfort and blessing."
"Mo Daowu is ninety-six now, and he is immortal, but he seeks to be simple and offer true love, and bows his head to be a symphonic cow." This small poem may be able to briefly summarize the demeanor of this person who has dedicated his life to the cause of music, Cao Peng's demeanor, which is impressive.
Author: Wang Licheng
Image source: Organizer Courtesy of
Editor: Chen Xihan