Bruce Liu

»Bruce Liu is, quite simply, an extraordinary pianist. He plays with sensitivity, dexterity, stupendous technique, and full nuance. A thoroughly recommendable album.« La Scena Musicale on Waves: Music by Rameau · Ravel · Alkan Watch exclusive interviews with Bruce Liu on STAGE+ It was in October 2021 when the Chinese-Canadian pianist Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu won the International Chopin Piano Competition, stepping onto the world stage. Freshness, dynamism, and flawless technique characterized his playing during the demanding competition rounds – »poetry and virtuosity in wonderful balance,« judged the Daily Telegraph, for example, on his interpretation of Chopin's E minor Concerto. Liu not only convinced the jury; in his sold-out concerts worldwide, he has since captivated critics and audiences alike. In interviews, he appears modest, possesses a sense of humor, and a keen interest in the history and culture of the many places he has visited since his victory in Warsaw. On March 29, 2022, World Piano Day, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. In collaboration with the Chopin Institute, the label had previously released an album featuring live moments from his various competition stages. It was released in November 2021, and the response was unanimous. Liu had »something consistently interesting and consistently natural to contribute to Chopin’s music,« wrote BBC Music Magazine, with »rare sensitivity,« »exuberant energy,« and of »breathtaking beauty.« To mark the contract signing, Deutsche Grammophon released Liu's recording of Chopin's Nocturne in C sharp minor, KK IVa/16, as an eSingle in April 2022. Further eSingles soon followed: Rameau's Les tendres plaintes and La poule in June and August 2022, Chopin's Etude Op. 10 No. 5 (»Black Key Etude«) in October 2022, and J. S. Bach's Fifth French Suite in April 2023. Titled Waves: Music by Rameau · Ravel · Alkan, his eagerly anticipated first DG studio album was released in November 2023, promptly earning him an Opus Klassik as Young Artist of the Year 2024. It offers a contrasting program by three masters of French piano music who worked in successive centuries. The two works by Charles-Valentin Alkan, Barcarolle and Le Festin d’Ésope, are new additions to the Deutsche Grammophon catalog. In June 2024, Waves: Music by Satie followed with two interpretations of the Parisian composer's Gnossiennes, one for grand piano and one for piano. For his second studio release, Liu has now focused on solo piano music by Tchaikovsky. The album features the twelve character pieces The Seasons, as well as the Romance Op. 5, released as a bonus track on the CD, and five salon pieces appearing on the Deluxe Edition. Tchaikovsky: The Seasons will be released on CD, vinyl, and digitally on November 1, 2024. Liu's upcoming engagements include his debut at London's Wigmore Hall, where he will perform works by Rameau, Haydn, and Chopin in a solo recital (July 14, 2024); three appearances at the Verbier Festival (July 26, 28, and 31); Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Tanglewood Festival (August 23); Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in Quebec and Cincinnati at the start of the new season (September 18/19 and 27/28); and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 on tour in Japan (October 15 to 19). »What unites us all is that we are different,« Bruce Liu likes to observe. He knows what he's talking about. Born to Chinese parents in Paris on May 8, 1997, Liu moved to Montreal with his father at the age of six, regularly visited China, and effortlessly learned fluent Mandarin. This background shaped his artistic work, merging European refinement, North American dynamism, and the long tradition of Chinese culture. Between 2011 and 2018, Liu studied with Richard Raymond at the Quebec Conservatory of Music, during which time he won the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal competition at just 15 years old. He then continued his studies with Dang Thai Son (winner of the 10th International Chopin Competition). Liu has performed with some of the world's leading ensembles, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He has also been a guest at renowned concert halls, such as New York's Carnegie Hall, the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Philharmonie in Paris, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein, and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. He is aware of the demands of touring and concert life. Nevertheless, he does not want to be overwhelmed by them and takes time for his hobbies such as swimming, chess, cinema, jazz, history, karting, and football. After performing at the UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monte Carlo in August 2023, he recorded his own orchestral version of Fire this spring, the official song for UEFA Euro 2024, produced by the Italian EDM trio Meduza. Above all, Liu states: »When I play the piano, I forget the world around me. Music has a power that helps me clear my mind.« 7/2024