Lv Wencheng (1898-1981) was the best and most outstanding composer and musician, as well as a remarkable singer and revolutionist of Cantonese songs since 1920s. He put all the energy in his life to the development of Cantonese music, and he made prominent contribution in the music promotion all over the world, which made it a unique and world-famous music style.

Lv Wencheng was born in Zhongshan County of Guangdong on March 12th of the 24th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1898). He went to Shanghai with his father to make a living as a child labor in a silversmith shop in his childhood. When he was ten years old, he studied in Guangzhao Primary School for free, when he started his music career in his spare time. Because he was fond of the folk music since he was a child, he always listened to the old artists’ performance, and he worked very hard and became well-educated through self-study. When he was 20 years old, he became famous.

In 1919, the Chinese Concert opened in Shanghai, the tenet of which was to make researches on music, train character, improve the aesthetic senses and nurture the noble personality. Lv Wencheng was one of the earliest members of it.

Lv Wencheng created more than 200 pieces of music in his whole life. Some of the excellent works remained immensely popular and evergreen. His works had extensive themes, some being pictorial and lyric, such as Quiet Lake and Autumn Moon, and Evening Boat Song; some being active and vivid, such as Childhood Sweetheart, Awakened Lion, etc. All of his works were noted for well-knit structures and fresh tunes. Melodic, moving and enthusiastic as they were, there was distinguishable personality and style in them.

He was acknowledged as a skillful Erhu (a kind traditional Chinese musical instrument) performer. He made great revolution to change the silk strings into wire strings, and used two legs to nip the instrument to perform, which conduced to the creation of Erhu with a high tone. He made a lot of improvement in timbre, volume and diapason, and he used his unique way of playing to make Erhu with a high tone the best solo instrument of Cantonese music, which promoted the further development of Cantonese music. Thus he was called “the Doctor of Erhu”.

On August 22nd, 1981, Lv Wencheng passed away at the age of 83 in Hong Kong for his poor health caused by over-exertion.

Lv Wencheng loved his motherland and folk music, and he persisted on developing folk music by attaching importance to tradition and assimilating the soul of foreign music at the same time. The quantity, quality and effect of his works were so magnificent that he was commended as the most unprecedented folk musician. He left a good name throughout the ages with the enduring Cantonese music.