Yang Liu
BIO:Violinist Yang Liu combines outstanding technical command and sublime musicality in performances that have earned him numerous accolades in Asia, the United States and Europe. He is a former prize winner of the Twelfth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and a first prize winner of China’s National Violin Competition. The newspaper Beijing Tonight called him “The best of the billion!” Mr. Liu plays a Guarneri made in 1741 on a generous loan from Stradivary Society and Bein and Fushi Rare Violins. His repertoire ranges from baroque to the most contemporary of works. Yang Liu made his North American debut with the Atlanta Symphony orchestra, earning three nights of standing ovations for his performance of Paganini’s First Violin Concerto. This success was followed by performances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano; Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra; Hagen Symphony Orchestra, Germany; and with the Odense Symphony Orchestra, Denmark, under Maestro Christoph Eberle in a highly successful tour throughout China of which a Chinese newspaper commented: "…The Carl Nielsen concerto was soloed by Chinese violinist Yang Liu who gave an absolutely sensational performance which touched the deepest spot of our hearts... Such a musician has been rarely heard for the past ten years..."His recent engagements include concerto performances with the Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota, Colombia performing Barber’s Violin Concerto under Maestro Amadio. He also completes a 5-city tour in China performing the Butterfly Concerto with Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, as part of the China-US cultural exchange initiated by Secretary of State of the US John Kerry, and chairman of the cultural department of China Mr. Luo . Orchestras repeatedly engage him for his appealing musicality and persona. He has performed multiple times with Ospa State Orchestra in Brazil, Qingdao Symphony Orchestra in China, East Oregon Symphony Orchestra. Under Maestro Alan Heatherington, he has performed the Brahms concerto with the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra and the Nielsen and Sibelius concertos with the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra. A highly sought after guest artist and teacher, he performed and taught for many years in Aspen Music Festival, Oficina Music Festival and Sesc Music Festival in Brazil, and the Great Wall Music Festival in China. Yang Liu’s earlier concert highlights included his solo appearances at the Algave International Music Festival in Portugal and at the prestigious Sala Sao Paulo in Brazil and in the US the Aspen Music Festival and the Ravinia Festival. He also toured in China with his wife. As one of the most successful international performing artists of Chinese origin, Yang Liu was honored to be chosen to be filmed for a documentary called “String of heart--Yang Liu” which features Yang’s artistic life. This production was aired throughout China starting in February 2011. . His debut recording, “Song of Nostalgia,” was released to critical acclaim. The CD represents his broad interest in music, including some of the most difficult repertoire written for violin and traditional Chinese music. This recording, along with many of his live performances, is frequently heard on National Public Radio. Born in Tsingtao, China, Yang Liu made his concert debut at age 10 performing Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen with the NHK Orchestra in Tokyo. He also performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in a nationally televised live concert with the Central Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing, which drew attention of the renowned violin pedagogue, Yao-Ji Lin. He began to study with Lin at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and soon afterward, began to concertize as a soloist internationally. In pursuit of further musical development, Yang moved to the USA and continued his studies with Kurt Sassmannshaus and Dorothy DeLay at College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. During his student years, he has been a frequent soloist at the Aspen Music Festival and with the Cincinnati-based Starling Chamber Orchestra, with which he toured China twice. He also was a featured performer in Starling’s Emmy Award-winning educational video, Classical Quest concert tours have led him to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Germany, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Greece, China, Egypt and America. PRESS:
"Liu Yang, from China, with his dazzling talent, the audience cheered as Liu fired off a few rockets of his own….” "Leonhard Bernstein's 'serenade', ambitious, deep spirited work rather than one of the virtuoso standards. Yang, a violin wonder with racing fast fingers. He meets the depth and the tension, he jazzes and sings, masters the highly virtuosic attacks and integrates the complex rhythms to a richly felt musical confession. The orchestral musicians truly enjoy the dialogue with the sympathetic soloist..." "World-class violinist enravishes Audience to Thundering Applause. What makes Yang Liu’s violin playing so fascinating? It penetrates the artist, for whom technical problems are not an issue, to the tips of the toes. He forms a unit with his valuable Amati and brandishes the bow like a swordsman does his foil. Dynamics are entirely unpretentiously built up to excess." |
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