Key worker

A graduate of the Montreal Conservatoire, Liu is currently a student of Dang Thai Son, who, when he won the Chopin competition in 1980, was the first Asian to do so. He is one of the competition's 17 jury members.

Asked about his study with Dang, Liu says in a way they are "like very good friends or family members".

"We not only talk about music, but also about the issues of everyday life," he says.

Liu enjoys listening to music played by older generation pianists "because piano-playing tastes have changed so much between now and 50 years ago", he says.

"Somehow those older players are closer to what these composers actually wanted, because of the way they lived. Today, we focus too much on technique and perfection. They focused more on tone, melody and singing, which is so special," he says.

Liu never thought about winning the award just like he never planned to become a pianist. Liu's father, a lover of the arts, saw his son playing an electronic organ at home for fun at the age of 7 and arranged a piano teacher for him. Since Liu also had many other hobbies, like playing chess, reading, swimming and watching movies, he didn't spend much time practicing the musical instrument.

"My father never forced me to practice. I just played for 15 to 20 minutes, which allowed me to keep a passion for it," Liu recalls. "Like many children, I got bored with piano, and even considered quitting when I was about 15. I stopped playing the piano for three weeks before I decided to play it again. Then I realized that I really enjoy playing and that I am really devoted to this hobby."

He showed his musical talent by winning some awards in Canada, including the grand prize of the OSM Standard Life Competition in 2014.

Liu's parents are both from Beijing and later studied in Paris. So he grew up in a Chinese family with an environment full of Chinese culture. Liu likes reading Chinese novels, especially martial arts novels by Louis Cha. Before the pandemic, he would return to China two to three times every year with his parents.

"The mix of so many cultures has influenced me and enabled me to be very open-minded," he says. "It's always good to be back in China. Everything is so vibrant. I am also looking forward to giving concerts there."

On Nov 19, an album of his live recordings during the Chopin competition was released by Deutsche Grammophon, including Chopin's Etude in C Sharp Minor Op 10 No 4 and Don Giovanni Variation.

Now, the pianist's concert schedule is booked through 2023. Other than Chopin, he wants to play the works of composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Franz Liszt.