Born in Haifeng County, Guangdong Province, China. He was an accomplished violinist and composer who first introduced the Franco-Belgian violin technique to China.

He traveled to Europe twice between 1923 and 1931, studying composition and violin at the Conservatoire de Paris. He returned to China in 1932, embarking on a highly successful national concert tour. As a composer, he blended Western musical harmony with Chinese ethnic expressions, composing numerous works of high artistic merit.

• In 1949, he was appointed the first president of the Central Conservatory of Music, a position he held until 1966. From 1966, he was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, and the following year, he fled to the United States via Hong Kong. By 1985, his reputation had been rehabilitated.