Shi Guangnan

Shi Guangnan was a composer, best known for his patriotic and nationalistic songs from the Cultural Revolution era that combine traditional melodies with westernized accompaniment.

Biography

He attended the middle school division of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and graduated with a degree in composition from the Tianjin Conservatory in 1964, whereupon he was assigned to the Tianjin Dance Theater.

In 1985 he was elected as vice-chairman of the Chinese Musicians' Association and composed more than 100 works during his 20-year career. He lived in Jinhua, Zhejiang.

His compositions include "In Hope Field," "Toasts Song," "If You Must Know I," "Turfan's Grape Was Ripe," "Has Lifted Up High the Asian Games Torch" , "Hits Hand Drum To Sing Song," "Premier Zhou, Where You Were At," "Pure White Feather Send Affection," and the large-scale operas Qu Yuan and Grieve for the Dead (the latter work composed in 1981 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lu Xun.

He died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

The Chinese film Rhapsody of Spring is a slightly fictionalized portrait of Shi . The film features a number of Shi's songs.