At the end of the 19th century and in the early 20th century, the musical life of Chinese residents in Harbin consisted of local 鈥淓rrenzhuan鈥?(a song-and-dance duet pupular in northeast China), folk songs, Big Yangko, bass drums in the northeast and other local dances and written songs.

In 1908, the first operating theatre of Chinese opera in Harbin鈥淔uhe Tea Park鈥漺as open for business. After that, similar theatres opened one after another, offering a piece of fertile soil for folk music and operas to grow.

The first music school in Harbin

The First Music School of Harbin was founded in May 1921. It is a senior music school. The headmater was gifted Jewish pianist V.L. Gershgorina. There are a group of Jewish musicians in the school and the school fostered countless gifts of music.

The earliest music school in Harbin: the formal music education of Harbin began with ''The First Music School of Harbin'', ''Harbin Glazunov Senior Music School鈥欌€?and 鈥淗arbin Music Institute鈥? Harbin Glazunov Senior Music School was established in 1924 and is in a building that has Jewish style architecture located in No. 86 Tongjiang Street, Daoli District. The school is not only named after the Dean of Petersburg Music College, but also is in full accordance with the St. Petersburg Conservatory Music syllabus.