Tan Shuzhen: The Musician and the Gentleman
February 7, 2024
Future Reimagined supported student researcher Sara Yang to present her research into the life of Tan Shuzhen, a musician who lived in mainland China from the Opium War, through the Cultural Revolution, and well into the future.
Sara currently studies music history at UC Santa Barbara with a focus on the music of the cultural revolution. The life of Tan Shuzhen represents an incredible cross-cultural phenomenon of East meets West in musical styles. Tan was a world renowned violinist and violin maker who faced intense discrimination in his life for his love of western music.
Through this exhibition, Sara invited guests to the Chinese American Museum to witness this incredible life story. It was a multimedia experience, with photos, videos, and recordings of Tan's solos on violin. She included interviews with documentary directors who had worked with Tan directly, giving an emotional and personal quality to this incredible person.
