Ren Guang

Who was Ren Guang?

Ren Guang, also known by a nom de plume, Ren Qianfa, was a noted Chinese composer of the early 20th century.

Ren studied in Paris beginning in 1919, and there acquired the techniques of music composition. As a consequence, his works are influenced by Western music, particularly in their harmonic accompaniment. Among his best-known compositions are Song of the Fishermen used as the theme song for a film of the same name, and Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon. He also invited the musician Huang Yijun to compose The Flowers are Blooming and the Moon is Full which was included on a 1935 recording Ren Guang supervised.

He died in the Wannan Incident in Wannan, southern Anhui, in January 1941.