ON A HIGH NOTE

Leading composers say China's music scene has improved with the reform and opening-up, Chen Nan reports.

In 1978, China launched economic reforms that subsequently touched different aspects of citizens' lives, including music.

A year earlier, the national college entrance exam resumed - after the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) had ended - and the Beijing-based Central Conservatory of Music, which also reopened then, set up four student-enrollment offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, attracting over 170,000 applicants.