On May 27, 1959, the violin concerto "Butterfly Lovers" composed by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang was premiered at Shanghai Lanxin Theater, with Yu Lina as the violin soloist. This most famous violin piece in Chinese history completed the creation of the nationalization of symphonic music.

The "Butterfly Lovers" Violin Concerto was composed by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao when they were students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. It was composed in the winter of 1958. It was premiered in Shanghai in May of the following year and was well received. Yu Lina was the violin soloist at the premiere. . The theme is a well-known folk tale, with tunes from Yue opera as the material, and a combination of symphony and Chinese folk opera music expression techniques.

Extended information:

"Butterfly Lovers" is carefully conceived and laid out according to the development of the plot, using a sonata-style structure, a single movement, and a subtitle. The main content is "Caoqiao sworn homage", "British-Taiwan resistance to marriage", and "Butterfly in front of the grave". The musical structure consists of the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers, sworn vows at Caoqiao, three years as classmates, farewell at the age of eighteen, farewell in the pavilion, resistance to marriage in Britain and Taiwan, complaints from crying spirits, and butterflies turning into butterflies in front of the grave.

In Chen Gang's early years, he studied composition and piano under his father Chen Gexin and the Hungarian pianist Vara. After being admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1955, he studied composition and theory under Dean Ding Shande and Soviet music expert Arzamanov. As early as when he was a student, he became famous in the Chinese and foreign music circles for his violin concerto "Butterfly Lovers", which he collaborated with He Zhanhao.

When He Zhanhao was 12 years old, his father used borrowed money to send him to Hangzhou to attend junior high school, hoping that he would become an educated person in the future. Unexpectedly, He Zhanhao, who loves opera, eventually learned Shaoxing opera. A trip to Shanghai allowed He Zhanhao to be admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music by accident, and he composed China's first violin concerto "Butterfly Lovers". This piece is a perfect example of the perfect combination of traditional Chinese music and Western music.