Roses, butterflies and a gentleman

Chen Gang in concert celebrating what would have been the 100th birthday of his father, Chen Gexin. Photos provided to Shanghai Star

He grew up to the strains of what are now celebrated as the classic melodies of Shanghai, and now he is continuing his family's legacy. Xu Junqian tunes in to his story.

He is the son of a composer who gave the world the catchy melodies of Rose, Rose, I Love You and Nighttime in Shanghai, but Chen Gang prefers to make his mark with grander works – like the violin concerto, The Butterfly Lovers, a work based on a 1,600-year old tale of star-crossed lovers.

Its haunting melody has filled the world's most famous music venues and it is arguably the most famous modern work of Chinese music. But as its co-composer, Chen Gang is not resting on his laurels.

At 79, Chen, a Shanghainese born and bred, has a burning passion for music and art that is yet to be consumed by teaching at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music for the past four decades. This is where he graduated and where he wrote the concerto with his schoolmate, He Zhanhao.

"I am often asked what inspired me to create the concerto. All I can say is, it was the era," says Chen, who was born in the 1930's, the golden age for Shanghai.