This dissertation is an analytical study of five Chinese piano pieces: Buffalo Boy's Flute by He Lu-ting, Flower Drum by Qu Wei, Xing-jiang Dance No. 1 and No. 2 by Ding Shan-de and Tunes at Sunset by Li Ying-hai. These five pieces represent a specific historical period from the 1930s to the 1950s--a primary phase in the establishment of Chinese piano music. Each piece is analyzed in terms of melody, rhythm, harmony, form and style, in order to ascertain how Chinese composers fused Western compositional techniques with the Chinese musical heritage. A second objective was to provide an historical background of the introduction and development of the piano in China. Through the investigation, this study has traced the channels through which Western music was introduced to China.The study consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 presents introductory information as well as the purpose, significance, procedures and delimitation of the study. Chapter 2, a review of related literature, provides a brief description and evaluation of important sources utilized. Chapter 3 presents a brief history of the piano in China. Chapter 4 provides an analysis of each of the five Chinese piano pieces. Also included are an evaluation of each work, brief biographies, and the historical circumstances surrounding the composition of each piece. Summary and conclusions are reported in Chapter 5.The history of Chinese piano music is relatively short--spanning approximately eighty years. Western music was not introduced to China until the beginning of the twentieth century. The founding of the National Conservatory in 1927 marked the beginning of professional musical higher education in China. Because of the musical training which Chinese musicians received, the German-Russian romantic style exerted a strong influence on the musical development of China. In the past eighty years, Chinese musicians have taken different paths trying to establish a national identity within their musical culture. The five pieces analyzed in this study reflect the accomplishments which Chinese musicians achieved in combining Western compositional techniques with Chinese musical idioms. These innovations have since become common practice among most Chinese composers. / School of Music