Wang Kun

Who is Wang Kun?

Wang Kun is a noted and influential Chinese singer, actress, musical director, and teacher specializing in revolutionary repertoire. She is most famous for her interpretations of songs such as "Nanniwan".

Wang is from Tang County, Hebei, China. In the 1940s, she joined the performing arts troupe of the People's Liberation Army. In 1945, she played the lead role in The White Haired Girl, produced by the Yan'an Lu Xun Institute of Arts, and also performed in other modern dramas.

Along with her contemporary Guo Lanying, Wang was a member of the first generation of Chinese performing artists to train overseas. Following the Chinese Revolution in 1949 she continued studying music in the USSR with Medvedev, as well as with the Chinese singer Lin Junqing. In 1954 she entered the Central Conservatory of Music, to further her education. She later directed the Oriental Song and Dance Company, serving as regimental commander.