Wu Zuqiang| 1927-2022
Wu Zuqiang: His name will be inscribed on it
In the annals of Chinese symphony history
He Chunsheng
At noon on March 14, Mr. Wu Zuqiang left us forever, and when he heard this news, he was filled with grief and thoughts. I worked under Mr. Wu for many years because of my symphony work, and that was the day I studied symphony and the time when I learned from him...
On September 15, 1994, the China Symphony Development Foundation was established in Beijing, with Zhou Weizhi as the president, Li Delun as the art director, and Wu Zuqiang as the executive vice president. In the evening, a symphony concert celebrating the establishment of the China Symphony Development Foundation was held at the Beijing Concert Hall, with Li Delun and Tan Lihua as conductors of the second and first half of the concert respectively, and the concert was warmly welcomed by symphony lovers in the capital.
Wu Zuqiang
Under the leadership of Mr. Wu Zuqiang, the comrades of the preparatory group of the China Symphony Development Foundation have done a lot of effective work. I joined the preparatory group under the introduction of a comrade of the former Central Orchestra and worked under the leadership of Mr. Wu for many years.
In the preparatory process of the foundation, the staff of our preparatory team either went to Mr. Wu's home to report on the work, or went to Mr. Wu's home or Minister Zhou Weizhi's home to report on the work or hold a meeting with Mr. Wu. Mr. Wu has the reputation of "wisdom and many stars" in the mouths of Mr. Li and Minister Zhou, and is deeply trusted by the two, and there are often such scenes: We reported to the three elders, Mr. Li and Minister Zhou immediately turned to look at Mr. Wu, and Mr. Wu assigned us work.
Mr. Wu Zuqiang often "stands" for us. During the preparatory period of the foundation, in order to raise funds, we often performed in the form of "Artist Team of the Preparatory Group of the China Symphony Development Foundation". Once, we contacted the support of a Sichuan company to perform in Chengdu. In order to expand the effect, we contacted the General Office of the Sichuan Provincial Government to invite Xiao Yang, then governor of Sichuan Province, to attend, and the other party asked: Which of your leaders came to Rong to attend? I said casually that we would have ministerial leaders in attendance. Subsequently, I reported to Mr. Wu and explained the situation. He said, "Isn't it just that I'm going!" Book your tickets. "The meeting between Mr. Wu and Governor Xiao Yang was very helpful to the work of the Foundation.
Mr. Wu Zuqiang is particularly understanding and never embarrasses us. Our preparatory team staff from all directions, there are entrepreneurs, there are magazine middle-level leaders, there are orchestra performance department heads, there are cultural company comrades, everyone is not familiar with the symphony business, sometimes inevitably say a few laymen, whenever this happens, Mr. Wu always looks at us kindly, we know that there is something wrong.
When the foundation was about to be established, I proposed to Mr. Wu to hold a national exhibition and performance of the China Symphony Music Season. I drafted and printed out the proposal and the project plan to report to Mr. Wu's home, and he read the proposal and said to me: "Xiao He, your suggestion is good, it is a good thing for the development of China's symphony cause." When Mr. Wu saw the project plan, "the development of Chinese symphony should take the development path of nationalization." Only nationalization can be internationalized. Nationalization is the foundation, and internationalization is development. There is no internal instability, no external instability, no strong. It is necessary to speed up the process of nationalization and speed up the development of nationalization. Otherwise, it can only be that one has abandoned one's own land and fattened other people's fields. When promoting composers, playing Chinese works, and prospering and developing the Chinese symphony industry," he said to me: "Xiao He, the front is very well written, and the back is not wanted." Moreover, it is still a Chinese and foreign work. I said, "Teacher Wu, we need to say the other way around in Chinese." Otherwise, there is no convincing. Our Chinese symphony started late, and the level of creation needs to be improved. Only playing Chinese works is to give Chinese composers more opportunities for concentrated performance and exchange, otherwise, Chinese and foreign works are played on the same stage, and our works do not have an advantage. Mr. Wu looked at me and said, "It seems to make a little sense." Then do as you say. Send Comrade Delun and Wei Zhi to see what the second elder has to say. "I immediately went to the homes of Mr. Li Delun and Minister Zhou Weizhi to report, and both Mr. Li and Minister Zhou agreed to hold the national exhibition and performance activities of the China Symphony Music Season and hoped to do a good job. From May to November 2008, the "Centennial Symphony symphony" Chinese Symphony Century Review and the First China Symphony Music Season National Exhibition and Performance Activity held 25 Chinese works concerts in 13 cities (including Hong Kong), and a total of 161 works by 165 Chinese composers were performed. Music Weekly named the project the "Double First" of the "10 Major Events in the Chinese Music Industry in 2008".
Mr. Wu Zuqiang presided over the "Centennial Symphony symphony" Chinese Symphony Century Review and the opening concert of the first China Symphony Music Season
Mr. Wu Zuqiang attended the opening concert at the Concert Hall of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and the closing concert at the Shanghai Grand Theatre. At the reception after the closing concert, Mr. Wu said to me: "Xiao He, you have contributed to the cause of Chinese symphony. Thank you! ”
"Centennial Symphony symphony • Century Symphony" Chinese Symphony Century Review and the closing concert of the first China Symphony Music Season
In order to make the cause of the China Symphony Music Season continue to be held for a long time, with the support of people in the music industry, we registered a project organization named "China Symphony Music Season Art Center" with the Beijing Civil Affairs Department. I invited Mr. Wu to an honorary position, and he said, "Xiao He, I am old and can't run, so if you look for Comrade Gengchen, just say that I said it." "I went to Teacher Fu Gengchen's house to explain the situation and invited Mr. Fu Gengchen to take up an honorary position, which Mr. Fu gladly accepted and supported so far. Over the past 12 years, the China Symphony Music Season has been adhering to the comprehensive review and display of the development achievements of Chinese symphony in the past century, publicizing the purpose of Chinese composers, exhibiting Chinese works, prospering and developing the Cause of Chinese Symphony Music, maintaining the four major sections of retrospective exhibitions, forums, concerts and publications, spanning 25 cities, holding six national exhibition and performance activities, 64 concerts, playing 403 Chinese works by 381 Chinese composers, and becoming an exhibition and performance platform for only Chinese symphony works in the mainland. In order to promote the development of China's symphony industry, we will continue to do good things and do practical things.
After the establishment of the foundation, we held a string quartet competition under the name of the China Symphony Development Foundation under the proposal and leadership of Mr. Wu, and discovered a group of string talents, who are still active in domestic and foreign orchestras and stages.
In September 1995, the Foundation funded the 8th National Musical Works (Symphonic Music) Awards and Concerts of the Ministry of Culture. Zhu Jian'er's "Second Symphony", Du Mingxin's Piano Concerto "Spring Harvest", Luo Zhongrong's "Dark Incense" for Zheng and the Orchestra, Liu Xiang's Symphonic Rhapsody Poem "Memories for Ah Wa Shan", Zhou Long's Percussion Concerto "Big Song", Guo Wenjing's Symphony "Shu Dao Difficulty", Zhu Jian'er's Symphonic Poem "Naxi Yiqi", Xu Zhenmin's "Fengqiao Night Berth", Kwon Ji-ho's Symphonic Fantasy "Mountain Soul", Nusleti Wajidin's "Muqam Theme Overture", Jin Xiang Symphony Rhapsody "Tianwen", Zhang Qianyi's "Cello Concerto" 33 works, such as Tang Jianping's modern dance drama "Ju Dou and Spring", the third "Sorrow", and Wang Ning's "Drunken Immortal" for the flute and orchestra, won awards and were often selected for concerts.
After that, I visited Mr. Wu's house and reported on the holding of the China Symphony Music Festival. Mr. Wu shook my hand and said, "Xiao He, this is very good, you must insist on doing it." I said, "Teacher Wu, I have made the Chinese Symphony Music Season my life's work, and I will continue to do it forever." ”
Mr. Wu is meticulous and meticulous. Once, when I was reporting to work at Mr. Wu's house, a phone call came in from the landline, and he asked me to take the phone book on the desk after answering it. The scene where Mr. Wu opened the phone book stunned me: the phone numbers were like sesame seeds in an orderly combination, and the rows were neatly arranged on it. I looked at Mr. Wu carefully, the composer is the composer, and the admiration rose again.
The last time I met Mr. Wu was at the 60th anniversary of the Hebei Symphony Orchestra in Shijiazhuang. Mr. Wu attended the concert and symposium accompanied by his wife, Mr. Zheng, and I chatted with Mr. Wu alone for a while.
Mr. Wu's leadership of the preparatory work of the China Symphony Development Foundation is outstanding and effective, and he has made significant contributions. The preparatory ideas are clear and unambiguous, the grasp of major nodes and major events is in place, and the development of China Symphony and the work of the foundation are laid out and effective.
Mr. Wu Zuqiang went to Hexi, and we will always miss him. His important contributions to the development of Chinese symphony will always be engraved in our hearts and engraved in the annals of Chinese symphony.
(The author is the director of the Principle Affairs and Performing Arts Department of the China Symphony Development Foundation, and the secretary general of the China Symphony Music Season Art Center)