Stanford Orchestra conductor Jindong Cai speaking at the Stanford Bookstore

"Rhapsody in Red: How Western Classical Music Became Chinese"

by Jindong Cai

Western classical music has become as Chinese as Peking Opera, and it has woven its way into the hearts and lives of ordinary Chinese people. This lucidly written account traces the biographies of the bold visionaries who carried out this musical merger.

Rhapsody in Red is a history of classical music in China that revolves around a common theme: how Western classical music entered China, and how it became Chinese.

China's oldest orchestra was founded in 1879, two years before the Boston Symphony. Since then, classical music has woven its way into the lives of ordinary Chinese people.

Prof. Jindong Cai is the Director of Orchestral Studies at Stanford University, and conductor of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted many professional and university orchestras in the United States and China. He has a special interest in the works of Chinese composers. He received the ASCAP award for his support of contemporary music in 1998 and 2002.