Lin Shicheng

Lin Shicheng was born in 1922 in Nanhui, Jiangsu (now Pudong, Shanghai). From the age of six he learned pipa, erhu and sanxian from his father, and in his early years he practised medicine. He then studied with Shen Haochu of the Pudong school, and also with Wang Yuting and Fan Shaoyun, becoming an heir of the Pudong tradition. Before his death Shen asked him to edit the Yangzhengxuan pipa score, and Lin recorded Pudong pieces such as Ambush from Ten Sides, The Overlord Removes His Armour and The Moon on High. In 1956 he was engaged to teach pipa in the Chinese instruments department of the Central Conservatory of Music, where his students included Liu Dehai. He wrote Pipa Performance Technique and edited the Ju Shilin pipa score. He died in Beijing in December 2005.