Chinese singer Liu Huan, who performed Heroes’ Song, dies at 63
Renowned Chinese singer and educator Liu Huan has passed away at the age of 63 in Shanghai. Known for his powerful voice and contributions to music education, he gained international fame for performing the 2008 Beijing Olympics theme song.
Why it matters
Liu Huan was a cultural icon in China whose influence spanned decades of music, education, and charity, leaving a significant legacy in the Chinese arts community.
Chinese musician Liu Huan, whose powerful voice and wide-ranging work made him one of China’s best-known singers, died in Shanghai on Sept 25. He was 63.
Liu died at 9.52am surrounded by family members, according to obituaries issued on Sept 26 by China’s University of International Business and Economics, where he taught for more than three decades, and the Mango V Foundation, with which he established a charity supporting young original musicians.
Born in Tianjin in August 1963, Liu studied French literature at the University of International Relations in Beijing. He first attracted attention in 1985, when he stood out in singing competitions in English and French among students from Beijing universities.
He went on to become a prominent singer, composer and music educator, with songs including Young Ambition Knows No Sorrow, The Curved Moon, Asking Myself A Thousand Times and Heroes’ Song becoming widely known in China.
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