Tan Shuzhen and the 20th Century Music Scene in China

The early 20th century witnessed a proliferation in the number of Chinese musicians and musical scholars. Missionaries introduced Christianity to China after its defeat in the Opium Wars out of Western Imperialism, and it was among these religious settings that Western music was disseminated. However, the practice of such music was strictly restricted to Westerners and extremely courtly settings: not until 1925 were Chinese audiences allowed to attend Shanghai Municipal Orchestra’s concerts. Not until then did the Chinese public start to truly integrate themselves into the Western music sphere. Furthermore, China lacked a formal music education system––as music teaching in China had been based on a master-disciple learning style, there were few musicians who could read and teach music. The later revolution in music performance and pedagogy, as well as the Chinese integration into Western music community, were attributed to many Chinese Western Music pioneers, with Tan Shuzhen (1907-2002) being one of them. As a violinist, violin professor, and violin maker, Tan Shuzhen left countless legacies. While pursuing violin education and career in Qingdao, Beijing, Shanghai, and Tokyo, Tan joined the all-foreign Shanghai Municipal Orchestra, marking the first presence of Chinese. Later, he served as a violin professor at multiple conservatories and started an instrument factory at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music after learning violin making with two amateurs in Qingdao. There are a number of books and articles regarding Western music’s early appearances in China, as well as the pioneers’ contributions. However, very few works are dedicated to Tan Shuzhen himself. As I watched From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1979) and The Gentleman from Shanghai (2001), and talked to the professors who specialized in Chinese musicology, I found Professor Tan Shuzhen’s story very inspiring and ground-breaking in Western music history in China. Drawing stories from Tan and the larger historical context, this article seeks to reimagine the big picture of the 20th-century music scene by recounting Tan’s chronicle and summarizing his contributions to Western Music in China. My endeavor is bold and audacious, but by publishing the article, I hope I can commemorate Professor Tan Shuzhen and his transformative contributions.