Though the Chinese economy flirted with depression in his early years, and no region remain unaffected by the Guomindang-CCP conflicts, and later the war against Japan, Cao was able to enjoy a happy upbringing and a solid education in his hometown.

[1] Cao Peng stayed in the institution until 1945, working for the final three years as an underground member of the Chinese Communist Party, into which role he was first employed by a violinist friend.

It was not until 1955, however, that what he would later describe as a turning point in his career would occur, when Cao Peng won a scholarship to study at the Gnessin State Musical College.

In 1960, he gave the maiden overseas performance of the Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto, as part of the celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the establishment of government by the Communist party.

In the shifting Shanghai of 1975, Cao was able to take his orchestra on an international tour, visiting and performing in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

At the same time as he was beginning the turn to teaching, and passing along the invaluable experiences of Moscow and beyond to the younger generation, so was he increasingly involved in a classical music scene in transition.

Cao gave a countless number of performances in the 1980s, which took him not only further abroad, but to places unvisited within China, where he was able to cultivate and promote people's awareness of classical music.