Bio
I’m Yin Lu, better known as Yinfi—a London-based music producer, screen composer, vocalist and free speech advocate, creating songs that champion human dignity.
As an award-winning composer, my musical journey began at the age of 10 when I first touched a piano. Growing up in a traditional family in a remote town in Guizhou, China, I initially followed the expected path: studying diligently for the Gaokao and earning a bachelor’s degree in literature from Nanjing University in 2013. However, my true passion—composition—called to me, leading me to move to Shanghai to pursue my long-repressed dream. There, through rigorous training and by assisting renowned industry figures, I gradually became a well-established composer, working on blockbuster feature-length films, TV series, video games, and arranging songs for A-list Chinese pop stars.
Driven by an ambition to explore the global music industry, which operates in a radically different way from the one isolated by the PRC’s Great Firewall, I moved to the UK to study at the Royal College of Music. Under the guidance of Enrica Sciandrone and Howard Davidson, I graduated with a master’s degree in Composition for Screen in 2021, earning a first-class distinction.
During the initial stages of my relocated career, I received an Honorary Mention at the European Talent Awards and became a member of BAFTA Connect. My screen music garnered praise from Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck, and I received the Arts Council England's endorsement for Global Talent, thanks to the recommendations of Oscar-nominated composer Gary Yershon and the Director of the RCM, Colin Lawson.
Since 2022, I have also embarked on a new journey as a singer-songwriter and free speech advocate, performing under the stage name Yinfi. Through my music, I advocate for artistic freedom, which is suppressed by the Chinese authorities. During my time in the UK, my awareness of social issues—particularly the plight of pro-democracy Hongkongers, Uyghurs, Tibetans, Taiwanese, and Chinese human rights defenders—has spurred me to speak out. I chose to counter the chilling effects on musicians and artists by transitioning to a performer (My channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yinfi). Through my songs, I confront the Chinese authorities’ attempts to erase the memories of countless human rights defenders oppressed by the regime. Although my music is swiftly banned within China, it reaches an audience on Western platforms, where individuals in China—bypassing internet restrictions—send messages of solidarity.
My activism has drawn transnational repression, including a warning to my family from State Security officials and my inability to return to my homeland due to concerns about facing an unjust exit ban or residential surveillance, given China’s human rights record since my last visit in 2019. Despite this, I continue my artivism, believing that music is a powerful tool for raising awareness, defending free speech, and protecting artistic freedom. Some of my Chinese artist friends, aware of the risks, still support me by collaborating discreetly, as reflected in credits on platforms within the Great Firewall: https://mlink.cc/yinlucomposer.
Since 2023, I’ve been focused on an anonymous virtual electronic band and composing experimental scores for documentaries and films, shared exclusively on my private account: instagram.com/yinlumusic.
Press
Chinese censors ban protest anthem lauding decades of dissent - RFA
