姚先生原名济良，一九二一年一月十日生于浙江杭州，在癌症病魔的苦缠下，终于一九八三年三月十八日，结束了他六十二年的短暂人生。自幼受庭训薰陶，热爱丝竹之乐，青年时代因听二弟习弹汪建侯所授《阳关三叠》及《石上流泉》二曲，遂受启蒙，自行摸索按弹，兴趣益增。一九四七年姚丙炎以热诚求学之态，拜浙派著名琴家徐元白先生门下，获益之深，对他日后从事“打谱”工作奠定了坚实的基础。一九五一年，姚丙炎举家迁居上海，与沪上琴人相往还，并参加了今虞琴社的活动，应吴振平先生倡议整理出《琴曲钩沉》系列。其琴学之重要著述还有《唐陈拙论古琴指法》及其一百二十五条注释；《唐宋元五家指法释注》；《琴曲统计》；《古琴指法》……等等，均在国内外有一定影响。
YAO Bing-yan
YAO Bing-yan was born on January 10, 1921 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province and had finished his 62 years live by cancer on March 18, 1983 in Shanghai. His first name was Ji-liang. When he was young, he loved string and woodwind instruments deeply by the influences of his brother. In 1947, he learned the qin from XU Yuan-bai of the new Zhejiang School. In 1951, YAO Bing-yan and his family moved to Shangahi and settled down there. He then joined the Jinyu Qin Musicians Association and made friends overthere. Encouraged by WU Zhen-ping, he started his transcription of qin scores and ready for publishing. Besides, he has written many important writings on his researching in qin music.