Ye Shen: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Gang Chen & Zhanhao He: The Butterfly Lovers Concerto

Hailed at it's premiere as "a breakthrough in China's symphonic music," HE Zhanhao and CHEN Gang's "Butterfly Lovers" Violin Concerto was later reviled during the Cultural Revolution for it's Western influence and feudal Chinese inspiration. Though universally recognized among the Chinese people, the piece remains largely unknown in the West. A work of undeniable emotional appeal, it also carries with it a history that some of it's biggest supporters are still struggling to digest. Borne of an uneasy union of revolutionary nationalist sentiment and Chinese urban cosmopolitanism, the musical progeny manages to be faithful to both it's parents. SHEN Ye is Associate Professor of Composition in the Composition Department, Shanghai Conservatory of Music. His works have been performed frequently in Mainland China, Asia, the U.S. and Europe. He has cooperated with several well-known orchestras including the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Opera House Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Traditional Orchestra, and has completed several commissions.