BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Liu Huan, one of China's most celebrated musicians, died of illness in Shanghai in east China on Friday morning at the age of 63.
The Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics announced his passing in an obituary on Saturday.
Liu, who retired from the university in 2023 after teaching there for over three decades since 1991, specialized in music education and the history of Western music.
Born in north China's Tianjin Municipality in August 1963, Liu graduated with a degree in French literature from the University of International Relations in Beijing.
He rose to fame in the 1980s and became one of China's most recognizable voices, known for blending Chinese and Western musical traditions.
His most globally recognized moment came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, where he performed the theme song "You and Me" alongside British soprano Sarah Brightman, reaching an audience of billions. ■
