Lo Kwun-ting (born on October 12, 1950), commonly known as Lowell Lo, is a famous Hong Kong actor, film composer, and environmentalist. Born in Hong Kong to two opera singers, Lo moved to the United States at a very young age with his family. There, he studied at Seattle’s University of Washington and the Corniche Music School. After graduating, Lo made his way back to Hong Kong in the late 70s, where he made a living playing in bars and writing songs for other artists. In 1983, he released the folk rock opus Tianniao, his studio debut, via EMI Records. Unlike its predecessor, Passer (1984) incorporated elements from blues, jazz, and electronic music, showcasing his versatility as a songwriter. Approaching the end of the decade, Lo broke into the mainstream with several highly-acclaimed film soundtracks, most notably Passion (1986) and Pedicab Driver (1990), both of which won in the Best Song category at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Throughout the 90s, Lo remained as prolific as ever, writing the original for a total of 28 movies. In 1997, plagued by debt and a poor financial situation, Lo removed himself from the public eye and opened an organic vegetables store in Saigon. Following a 13-year long hiatus, he made a triumphant comeback in 2010 with the soundtrack for Echoes of the Rainbow, which earned him his third Hong Kong Film Award and solidified his place as one of the most brilliant composers of his generation.
