At the age of 96, Professor Su Xia of the Central Conservatory of Music passed away, and he was one of the first doctoral supervisors of composition in China

On May 1, the official website of the Central Conservatory of Music released an obituary saying: Retired cadres of the Central Conservatory of Music, composers, music educators, music theorists, directors of the former composition teaching and research office of the Department of Composition, the first batch of doctoral supervisors of composition in China, and Professor Su Xia, who made outstanding contributions to China's music career and composition and composition technology theory, died at the age of 96 at 7:12 on April 30, 2020 due to ineffective medical treatment in Guang'anmen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

The obituary said that at the request of the family, the funeral during the epidemic period was simplified and no memorial service was held.

Born on October 25, 1924 in Humenzhai, Dongguan County, Guangdong Province, Su Xia, formerly known as Xueheng, is a famous composer, music educator and theorist in China, and one of the most influential musicians in the second half of the 20th century in China.

Su Xia joined the Guangdong Youth Anti-Japanese Pioneer Team in 1938, studied at the Guangdong Art College Music School in 1941, transferred to Guilin, Guangxi Province in 1944 to continue the music composition of anti-war songs due to the war, went to the composition department of the Chongqing National Conservatory of Music in the winter of the same year to study, graduated from the Nanjing National Conservatory of Music in 1948, and later went to Shanghai to participate in the work of the New Music Society.

In August 1949, Su Xia accompanied some teachers and students of the China Conservatory of Music to participate in the preparatory work for the establishment of the Central Conservatory of Music. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Su Xia served as the director and professor of the composition department of the Composition Department of the Central Conservatory of Music, and studied composition with Soviet experts in 1953. In 1986, he was approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and became the first batch of doctoral supervisors in Chinese music disciplines in China (only 4 in the country).

According to the Composition Department of the Central Conservatory of Music, Su Xia, as one of the earliest teachers in the Composition Department of the Central Conservatory of Music, has worked hard for decades and made silent dedication, and has cultivated a large number of talents in the Chinese music industry with his effective teaching, including Shen Yawei, Li Chongguang, Wang Yuhe, Xu Zhenmin, Li Xi'an, Shi Guangnan, Bao Yuankai, Guo Wenjing, Zhou Long, Chen Xiaoyong, Tang Jianping, Luo Xinmin, Su Cong, etc.

In terms of composition theory, Su Xia has written "Practical Counterpoint Method", "Writing Counterpoint", "Song Writing Tutorial", "Harmony Technique", etc., and anthologies such as "On the Masterpieces of Modern Chinese Music", etc., and as the main person in charge, he presided over the compilation of "The Complete Works of Ma Sicong" and "The Complete Works of Jiang Wenye".

It is worth mentioning that Su Cong, the son of Su Xia, is also a well-known composer.

According to public information, on April 11, 1988, the feature film "The Last Emperor", co-produced by China, Italy and the United Kingdom, won 9 Academy Awards including the Best Film Music Award. And Su Cong is one of the composers of the film.