NIAN LIU, Viola Soloist 

As one of the most exciting young musicians of the new generation in China, Violist Nian Liu is in demand as concert soloist, chamber musician and educator. He is currently one of the youngest faculty members at the Shanghai Conservatory of the Music. He made his Shanghai Concert Hall solo debut while he was still attending that school as an undergraduate student, performing Walton’s Viola Concerto with renowned conductor Guo-Yong Zhang. A laureate of many international and national competitions, Liu was the first prize winner at the 2003 Holland-America Music Society International Viola Competition held in Chicago, the grand prize winner at the 2001 Santa Barbara Young Musicians Competition and second prize winner at the 2003 China National Viola Competition. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with such artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Misha Maisky, Gil Shaham and Midori Goto in concerts through out Europe as a participant of many prestigious music festivals in Europe between1997 to 2000.  

Liu started his violin study with his mothe (Madame Tian-LiQun) when he was four, and entered the Music High School of the Central Conservatory in 1989. He was accepted into the Shanghai Conservatory in 1996, studying with Professor Xidi Shen. In 2000, he went to United States as a President Fellowship recipient to study with internationally renowned master teacher, Donald McInnes at the Thorton School of Music of the University of Southern California, and received his highest honor in 2003. 

Nowadays, Liu is dividing his time between an active performance calendar and busy teaching schedule. His students were won many prizes of the main competitions in China 2007. He recently debuted as the leading solo viola of a new all-viola ensemble, Viva la Viola, formed by faculty members and student from the Shanghai Conservatory, and is planning to perform with this exciting new group on tour in the near future.