NieEr(14February1912–17July1935),bornNieShouxin,courtesynameZiyi,wasaChinesecomposerbestknownforMarchoftheVolunteers,thenationalanthemofthePeople'sRepublicofChina.InnumerousShanghaimagazineshewentbytheEnglishnameGeorgeNjal.
InthehistoryofmodernChinesemusic,NieEr(1912-1935)hasundoubtedlytakenaspecialposition.ltisnotonlybecausehisMarchoftheVolunteerswaslateradoptedasthepresentnationalanthemofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,butinhisshortlife,hecreatedforthepeoplemanyothersongsandinstrumentalpieces.Someofhisworksreflectedthesufferingsandgroaningofthebroadmassofthelabouringpeopleatthattime,andotherswereanexpressionofthepatriotismandresistanceoftheChinesepeopleinfaceoftheJapaneseaggression.Hisworks,somefulloftremendousmomentumandimbuedwiththespiritoftheage,somelyrical,gracefulandinastronglynationalstyle,werenotonlygreatfavouritesofChineseathomeandabroadthen,butarealsostilltreasuredbytheChinesepeopletodayaspreciouselementsoftheChinesenationalmusic,Thoughhiscareerasacomposerlastedforonlytwoyears,fromthepublishingofhisfirstcompositiontohisaccidentaldeathwhenswimmingintheseaofJapan,hisworkshavehadauniquelyprofoundinfluenceonmodernChinesemusic.[4]