The years before 1976 were not entirely inactive for Cao, however. In many respects, the classical music scene in Shanghai should remembered for its liveliness in the late Mao years, with pioneer conductors including Huang Yijun, Chen Chuanxi and Wang Yongji coming to the peaks of their respective careers. In 1962, Cao Peng collaborated with the Shanghai Opera House to give a performance of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, followed by later collaborations for performances of Manuel Da Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat and Delibes' Coppélia. 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.
