板胡演奏家劉湘，一九六三年十一月二十四日出生在長沙外婆家，父親便為他取名為劉湘。一九七六年九月，十二歲的劉湘考入海政歌舞團，擔任板胡獨奏和多種胡琴演奏。在一九七七年八月的文藝會演中，他演奏的板胡獨奏曲《地道戰組曲》獲得優秀演奏獎。一九八七年，劉湘轉入中央民族樂團任高胡、板胡演奏員，同年即在本團業務考核中獲青年演奏家獎，被任命為樂隊副首席。一九九五年，劉湘在國際華夏器樂展演年《中國民族樂器獨奏大賽》，以精湛的技藝獲得板胡項目大獎。一九九八年及一九九九年，劉湘二度隨中央民族樂團赴維也納金色大廳及歐洲多國演出並擔任獨奏。
LIU Xiang
LIU Xiang was born on November 24, 1963 in Changsha, Hunan province. It was because Hunan’s short name was Xiang, so his father gave him a name of Xiang. In September 1976, he joined the Song and Dance Troupe of the Sea-force Political Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in Beijing as the banhu performer. In a show in August 1977, he won an outstanding performance award for solo banhu. In 1987, he became a gaohu and banhu soloist in the National Traditional Orchestra of China. In the same year, in a performance appraisal of the ensemble, he won the Young Performer Award and was given the position of vice-leader of the ensemble. In the International Year of Exhibition & Performance of Chinese Instrumental Music 1995, he with his refine performance won the grand prize for the banhu solo. In 1997 and 1998, he participated as soloist and member of the orchestra in the highly acclaimed performances in the Chinese New Year Concert in Vienna.