I went to a classical concert at Tulane University last night, put on by seven professors or music teachers from the East China Normal University. All of them played traditional Western instruments (violin, viola, cello, piano), and it got me wondering about why Western instruments--especially piano and violin--are or seem to be so popular in China/among Chinese-Americans. I don't have much to base this on except personal experience, but I grew up around musicians and musical competitions in the U.S., and Chinese-American students have often formed a sizable minority or even a majority of the musicians I've seen. I guess I have two questions: am I correct in thinking that Western music and musicians are unusually popular in China/among Chinese-Americans, and if so, why is that so?