Luo Shoucheng, Tu Weigang and Weng Zhenfa are celebrated musicians in China. They have played traditional instruments for 40 years or more and are about to take a leap into the unknown.

They all retired last year, which means no more state-backed concerts and no more classes at the Shanghai Music Conservatory. They should be fading quietly into Shanghai’s cultural backwaters.

But these three men, with their ready smiles and wit, have decided to take a gamble.

As they begin to prepare a series of private concerts outside the control of the state, memories of the last 50 years of hardships and joy begin to flood back.

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