呂炳川（1929-1986），民族音樂學家。出生於澎湖，在保守傳統的環境成長，從小對藝術即有天份，17歲接觸音樂後，便從以以音樂為職志。1959年時擔任高雄市立交響樂團指揮，1962年負笈日本，先就讀東京武藏野音樂大學主修小提琴，後入東京大學人文科學研究科，專攻民族音樂學，師承岸邊成雄，於1973年取得博士學位，是臺灣第一位民族音樂學博士。呂炳川從事臺灣田野採集工作，曾多次深入臺灣山區蒐集原住民音樂，對民歌採集與田野工作貢獻厥偉。其重要研究成果有《臺灣原住民（高砂族）音樂》唱片等，如〈祈禱小米豐收歌〉便收錄其中，及《臺灣漢民族音樂》專輯等。同時他於全國推動才能教育，並曾任實踐家專（今實踐大學）音樂科主任，後於1980年任教於香港中文大學，對拓展民族音樂助益甚深。

LÜ Bing-Chuan was born in Penghu in 1929. He went to study abroad in Japan in 1962, where he studied ethnomusicology. He studied with Japanese musicologist Kishibe Shigeo. Lü became the first Taiwanese to earn a doctoral degree in ethnomusicology. He went deep into Taiwan’s forest areas to collect folk songs on numerous occasions and researched Aboriginal music. He was a major proponent of “Talent Education.” He was also a major influence for an entire generation of students. Lü made major contributions to folk song collections and fieldwork. He passed away in Hong Kong in 1986.