Wang Kun

Wang Kun (; 1925 – 21 November 2014) was a Chinese opera singer, actress, musical director, and teacher specializing in revolutionary repertoire. She was most famous for her leading role in the opera The White Haired Girl, and her interpretations of songs such as "Nanniwan".

In 1982, she became director of the Oriental Song and Dance Company, and educated a number of influential singers including Yuan Zheng, Zheng Xulan, and Zhu Mingying. Although she mainly sang revolutionary songs herself, Wang was an ardent supporter of popular music in the early 1980s, when such music was the target of heavy criticism in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. Her personal approval of Cui Jian, now known as the "Father of Chinese Rock", gave the singer the opportunity to debut at a major 1985 concert organized by the Oriental Song and Dance Company.

She was a member of the committee of the fourth session of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) and the Chinese Musicians' Association, and she participated in the second and third sessions as director of the executive committee for the fourth session of the All-China Women's Federation. She was the Chinese Communist Party's 11th representative for the first, second, and third National People's Congress, and was also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for the fifth and sixth National People's Congress. She performed in the large-scale music and dance drama and film, The East Is Red in the 1960s. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sent a congratulatory letter to the show.

Wang Kun died on November 21, 2014 at the age of 89.

Personal life Wang married musician Zhou Weizhi in 1943. and Wang died shortly afterwards on 21 November 2014, aged 89.