Cao Guifen (June 1938-May 2019), female, Han nationality, native of Dengzhou, Henan, representative inheritor of the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects, famous guzheng performer, member of China Musicians Association, One of the descendants of the Henan Zheng School, and a former first-class actor of the Henan Provincial Qu Opera Troupe.

Daughter of the late Cao Dongfu, the master of the Cao School of Zheng in Henan, influenced by her grandfather and father since childhood, she has won the essence of Cao School of Zheng music. In 1954, he started his guzheng playing career and served as a guzheng player in the opera of Kaifeng City, Henan Province.

Cao Guifen, the representative inheritor of the provincial intangible cultural heritage project, received the true biography of his father, Cao Dongfu, and mastered a large number of traditional repertoires of the Zhongzhou Zheng School. In addition, he has deep attainments in the stylistic performance of the Zhongzhou Zheng School, and has extensive influence and representation in the field of contemporary guzheng in my country. For decades, he has actively participated in various social performances and academic activities, cultivated a large number of young descendants of the Zhongzhou Zheng School, and made important contributions to the protection and inheritance of the Zhongzhou Zheng School.

In 1963, "Falling Courtyard", "Upstairs" and "Qupai Concerto" were well received by music fans at home and abroad, and had far-reaching influence. Born into a musical family, his father, Cao Dongfu, was a generational master in the Chinese music industry and the founder of the Cao School of Guzheng art. He learned the zheng from his father since he was a child, and won the essence of the Cao school's zheng art. In 1954, he joined the Kaifeng Opera Troupe as a guzheng player. After that, he was once transferred to Kaifeng Peking Opera Troupe and Art Troupe as accompanist and solo performer.

In 1978, he was transferred to Henan Province Qu Opera Troupe. His artistic talent has been further developed and fruitful. As early as 1963, when she was only 25 years old, she was invited to participate in the "First National Solo Recital Flying Performance "Chen Xingyuan Falls in the Courtyard", "Upstairs" and "Qu Pai Duo". The album sold well at home and abroad, and was used in the films "Qu Yuan" and "Guilin Landscape". In 1988, Beijing People's Music Publishing House published the zheng pieces "Daqiban" and "Qupai Concerto" co-organized by her and others. Taiwan has become a popular song. In September 1989, at the invitation of Hong Kong Hugo Recording Company, he recorded 21 pieces of Cao Pai's zheng songs for it, produced laser discs and tapes in Japan, and released them at home and abroad.

In October 1990, he was invited to participate in the "Guzheng Show of the Four Schools of North and South" hosted by the Hong Kong Urban Council, and was produced and distributed by "Hugo". In December of the same year, at the invitation of Hong Kong Fengyi Records, he recorded 13 pieces of Cao Paizheng for him.

In January 1991, Henan TV station filmed the special topic "Guzheng Fu" for her, and CCTV "China Glimpse" replayed, and sent it to Japan, the United States, Canada and other 8 countries for exchange. In the spring of 1994, at the invitation of Taiwan, she performed and gave lectures in Taiwan, and accepted 4 radio interviews and audio and video recordings of "Zhongshi", and also recorded 14 pieces of Cao Pai's zheng songs for her by Pacific Records, and published laser discs and tapes. In the spring of 1995, Henan and Zhengzhou TV stations made video recordings for her, which were broadcast in the prime-time "Art Space" and "Art Sea Aspects" respectively. In May of the same year, she was invited to record for Taiwan again.

In 2018, he was invited to be interviewed by Henan TV's "Cultural Wealth" column.

Since 1984, Henan Radio Station and Zhengzhou Radio Station successively recorded 53 Cao Pai zheng pieces for her. In addition to 7 music specials, they also produced many group zheng pieces for regular broadcast. Among them, Zhengzhou Radio Station recorded 3 music topics for her and exchanged with other places, which have been broadcast on more than 200 radio stations across the country. The genre features are distinct, the local color is rich, and it is well received by all parts of the country. Henan TV, Henan Provincial Radio and Zhengzhou Literature and Art Radio have filmed and recorded special topics for her, and won awards in the provincial selection.

For decades, she has accompanied more than 50 traditional or modern plays and performed solo many times. She has a high level of performance and artistic charm. She has composed music for many films, including "Qu Yuan", "Guilin Landscape", "Chen Sanliang", "Wind and Snow" and other film soundtracks. He has recorded Henan zheng music special programs for provincial and municipal radio stations for many times, and made national radio broadcasts.