Zhao Danden (February 1933-February 25, 2021), male, was born in Yuncheng County, Heze City, Shandong Province. A master of Chinese guzheng art, a famous guzheng performer, educator and composer, former vice president of the Guzheng Society of the Chinese Musicians Association, and former vice president of the Guzheng Professional Committee of the Chinese National Orchestra Society. Representative inheritors of the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage projects Guzheng Art (Shandong Guzheng Music). "Iron Horse Song" is handed down from generation to generation.

According to Guzheng.com and Yangzhou Qinzheng Association, on February 25, 2021, Mr. Zhao Dandan died of illness at the age of 89.

In 1933, Zhao Deng was born in Yangsi Village, Yuncheng County, Heze City. Mr. Zhao has been fond of folk music since he was a child. The wind, rain and insects in nature have aroused his strong interest and whimsy. He entered the school at the age of eight. On the steps of the hall, the following year, he learned from Mr. Zhao from the age of fourteen to learn the zither from the old folk artist Wang Dengji, and at the same time, he learned the soft bow and beard from Liang Yanyi. Learn the guzheng under the tutelage of Chinese folk artists Fan Xiyu, Zhang Yingyi, Li Dabang, Wang Banggui and other predecessors.

In 1950, he studied with Mr. Zhao Yuzhai, specializing in the guzheng. In 1953, he went to the Northeast Music College to continue his studies in music theory and leiqin. At the same time, he was hired by the school to teach Shandong Qinshu.

In early 1954, he joined the Song and Dance Troupe of the Northeast People's Art Theater. In the same year, he was transferred to the Song and Dance Troupe of Jilin Province. In 1954, he participated in the "Chinese Classical Music Folk Touring Troupe", which performed in major cities across the country, and successively participated in the concerts jointly organized by the three eastern provinces. "Harbin Summer Concert" and "Changchun, Shenyang Music Week" and other large-scale performances, playing guzheng, zither solo. In terms of playing skills, he not only inherits the tradition of Shandong school, but also makes bold breakthroughs and innovations. His playing style is simple and elegant, and he is enthusiastic and unrestrained. Zhao Danden has performed for state leaders and foreign heads of state many times, visited and performed in the DPRK several times, and has been highly praised by the North Korean music industry. In 1985, he served as the deputy head of the Chinese National Exhibition Troupe, representing the country in the "International Percussion Art Festival" held in India.

He started to create in 1958, and his works have won many awards in national and or provincial competitions. Among them, the guzheng solo "Song of the Iron Horse" won the third prize in the "Sixth National Music Works Awards" organized by the Ministry of Culture of China, the Ministry of Radio and Television of China, and the Chinese Musicians Association. The guzheng solo "Sui" caused a sensation at the first "National Guzheng Academic Exchange Conference" in 1986.

Mr. Zhao Dandan devoted himself to educating people, and the students he trained have won many awards in international, national or provincial competitions. He has also traveled between the mainland of the motherland and North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan many times, giving lectures or exchange performances, and has served as a judge of national or international guzheng competitions many times, making outstanding contributions to the development of guzheng art.

Zhao Danden is one of the representatives of the contemporary Shandong Zheng School, and was included in the Dictionary of Chinese Artists in 1979. Mr. Zhao not only inherited the tradition of folk artists being able to play and perform well, but also created and adapted many works full of local begging.

In 1987, the "Zhao Mountain Solo Concert" was held in Changchun, which caused a sensation in the music industry.

In 1989, he was a judge of the "National National Musical Instrument Invitational Competition" hosted by the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television of China.

In 1993, he served as a judge of the "National Ethnic Musical Instrument Invitational Competition" co-organized by the Nanjing Arts Institute of the Chinese Musicians Association, and in the same year he enjoyed the special allowance issued by the State Council.

In 1995, he held the "95 International Chinese Instrumental Music Exhibition Year" solo concert in Luoyang, and also participated in the performance of the famous guzheng artists from north and south of China. He has successively served as the art committee of the second, third, fourth and fifth National Guzheng Academic Exchange Conference, as a member of the organizing committee and deputy director.

In 1992, he was appointed as a professor at Yangzhou Normal University.

In 1997, he was invited to perform and give lectures in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Over the years, he has been giving lectures all over the country, and has served as the deputy director and judge in the national, provincial and municipal national musical instrument and guzheng competitions.

In 2001, he served as a judge for the editorial department of "People's Music" of the Chinese Musicians Association and the first "Longyin Cup" International Competition of Chinese National Musical Instruments (Guzheng) hosted by Hong Kong Longyin Producer Co., Ltd.

In 2002, he was the director of the Art Committee of Nanjing International Guzheng Art Symposium.

In October 2002, he performed in Seoul, South Korea at the invitation of the Korean Santiao Gayaqin School, and gave lectures at Chung-Ang University and Minzu University of Korea, which were very warmly welcomed.

In August 2005, the National Guzheng New Zheng Competition hosted by the Mass Cultural Association of the Ministry of Culture was grandly held. The director of the competition jury is Zhang Dianying, the vice president of the Chinese National Orchestra Society and a national first-class composer, and the deputy director is Zhao Deng, a Chinese guzheng master. The judges are composed of professors and experts from various music academies across the country.

On October 31, 2007, the concert for the 60th anniversary of Chinese music master Mr. Zhao Dandan was held in the multi-purpose hall of the Heze College Gymnasium. At the concert, Mr. Zhao Dandan not only led the performance of classic pieces such as the zheng ensemble "Autumn Moon in the Han Palace" and the stringed music "Touching the Eight Boards", but also personally demonstrated to the audience his outstanding skills such as solo zither and soft bow and Hu solo. . Several relatives and friends of Mr. Zhao Dandan, some disciples and teachers and students of the Music Department of Heze University also performed on the stage, presenting a wonderful auditory feast to the audience.

On the morning of February 25, 2021, a Chinese guzheng artist, a national intangible inheritor of the Shandong School of Guzheng, a famous guzheng performer, educator and composer, former vice president of the Guzheng Society of the Chinese Musicians Association, former Chinese National Orchestra Society Mr. Zhao Deng, the vice-chairman of the Guzheng Professional Committee, died of illness at the age of 89. The farewell ceremony for Mr. Zhao Dandan's body will be held at 7:30 am on February 27, 2021 in Room 153, Block B, Yi'an Court, Changchun Funeral Home.