Lei Zhenbang (1916--1997), famous Chinese movie music composer, was the nations top ranking composer. He was the director of China Musicians' Association and China Film Society, deputy director of China Movie Music Association, and councilor of the 6th CPPCC. Lei was born in May, 1916, in Beijing.  He was Manchurian. Because his family was wealthy and very cultured, Lei got a taste of Peking Opera when he was very young. At the age of seven or eight, he could hum Peking Opera episodes, and perform Peking Opera and some songs with the Erhu fiddle.

In January 1939, Lei went to Japan to study. Due to his excellent performance, he became an undergraduate with the department of composition at Japan Higher Conservatory of Music.

In 1943, Lei came back to China, and taught at Peking Women's High School and Huizhong Women's High School successively. After the anti-Japanese War, he organized an amateur symphony orchestra of over 50 people in his spare time.
Lei used to adapt a Chinese ancient tune called Sad Melody into orchestral music for the performances of his amateur symphony orchestra. It was Lei's first piece of work that was openly performed.

In June, 1949, Lei went to the China Movie Orchestra, focusing on composition. That was when he entered the movie circle.
For over 30 years, Lei composed more than 100 movie songs. He insisted on learning from folk artists and studying regular people's daily lives. He composed a great number of works with his unique style. The tunes he composed for movies reflect the life of minority ethnic groups. Songs with ethnic flair include Five Golden Flowers, the Third Sister Liu, the Guest to the Iceberg.

In 1960, the music he composed for the Third Sister Liu won the award of Best Music in the 2nd session of the "Baihua Awards." His later works also won prizes in competitions.

The music Lei composed for movies mainly includes: Dong Cunrui, the Bloom of Malan, Five Golden Flowers, Da Ji and His Father, the Third Sister Liu, Ji Hongchang, etc. Most of his works have been popular all over China for decades.