Passing the baton

Born in Shanghai in 1929, Zheng is the first female opera and symphony conductor in China. As one of the most famous Chinese conducting professors, Zheng has taught many famed musicians, including Zhang Xian, music director of the New Jersey Symphony.

In the early 1960s, Zheng was sent to the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory to study conducting. On Oct 1, 1961, she conducted her first orchestral concert in Moscow, which she dedicated to the 12th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The following year, she conducted Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's opera, Tosca, in the Russian capital, becoming the first Chinese conductor to perform at an international opera house.

In 1964, she returned to China to teach at the Central Conservatory of Music, where she became Wu's teacher.

Wu's father was a priest and Wu listened to lots of music in church and learned piano as a child. Her music talent was recognized by Zheng. "Wu is creative and full of ideas, which I love very much," says Zheng.

Like her mentor, from 1986 to 1988, Wu was sent to study at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. It was there that she became interested in choral singing, which was supported by Zheng.

When Wu taught conducting at the China Conservatory of Music in 1998, she initiated the idea of training conductors from choral singing. She let students sing at chorus and conduct the chorus themselves.

Now, Wu is a professor of the China Conservatory of Music's conducting department and works as the conductor of the NCPA Chorus, the resident chorus of the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

During the 16th China International Chorus Festival, Wu, the festival's artistic director, invited Zheng to be the guest conductor and honorary president of the event's arts committee. From July 16 to 20, the festival, held online, featured over 530 choirs from 52 countries and regions, as well as over 30,000 choral singing enthusiasts.

"I am happy that I am still able to learn and work with Zheng," says Wu.