The Qi-pai Tradition: Institutional Foundations of Artistic Continuity

This article is devoted to the study of the mechanisms of continuity of the musical direction qipai, which is considered not simply as a stylistic phenomenon, but as an integral creative paradigm that emerged in the musical culture of 20th-century China. The subject of the study is the state-oriented system of professional continuity that ensured the transmission of the aesthetic principles of “national character, mass orientation, artistry” from their inception at the Yan’an Lu Xun Academy of Arts to the present day. The work analyzes three key institutional levels of this system: first, the transmission of creative experience through pedagogical genealogies and academic disciplines in the leading conservatories (Central, Shanghai, Shenyang); second, the activities of professional performing groups (opera and ballet theaters, symphony and national orchestras), which ensure the stage life of classical models and the creation of new works; third, the integration of the qipai repertoire into the system of general education and public aesthetic upbringing through the compilation of textbooks, ritualized practices, and media dissemination. Special attention is paid to how these mechanisms transformed the wartime mobilization model into a sustainable ecosystem for the reproduction of personnel, works, and aesthetic criteria. The research is based on the historical-genetic method, tracing the evolution of institutional forms, drawing on archival materials, musicological analysis, curricula, and the case study method. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it is the first to systematically reconstruct the institutional infrastructure that ensured the continuity of the qipai direction for more than seventy years. In contrast to existing works, which focus primarily on the analysis of individual works or the oeuvre of specific composers, this article reveals the deep mechanisms of translation of the aesthetic paradigm — from direct mentorship (pedagogical genealogies) to academic courses and scholarly research. The work demonstrates that qipai exists not as a frozen historical phenomenon, but as a living, developing tradition thanks to a three-part system: disciplinary consolidation in higher education institutions, the production activities of professional ensembles, and broad social reception through education and ritualized practices. Qipai demonstrates high adaptability, openness to stylistic renewal, and the ability for the creative transformation of historical heritage into relevant artistic practices demanded by the contemporary audience.