Sophia Liu
Sunday, November 9, 2025 – 3:00 PM
Mairs Concert Hall, Macalester College
"Liu takes every risk and never falters, as if carried away by the music itself. Grandiose... There is the phenomenal virtuosity, the technique that transcends the limits of the piano, the verve, the brilliance of the greatest pianists."
— Bachtrack
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Program
TCHAIKOVSKY / arr. PLETNEV
Nutcracker Suite
TCHAIKOVSKY
Dumka in C minor, Op. 59
BEETHOVEN
Eroica Variations, Op. 35
LISZT
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in D-flat Major
Sonata in B minor, S. 17
Not quite 17 years old, Canadian pianist Sophia Liu has already gained worldwide recognition for her exceptional musical interpretations and maturity. Her "phenomenal virtuosity" (Bachtrack), coupled with her "poise and authority" (Boston Musical Intelligencer) and dynamic interpretations have captivated and mesmerized audiences worldwide.
Born in Shanghai, Liu was raised in Japan, where she began piano at the age of 4. She then moved to Montreal at age seven to study with Dang Thai Son, who continues to be her most trusted mentor. She has won various prizes at international piano competitions, including First Prize in Category A at the 18th Ettlingen International Piano Competition, First Prize at the 2023 Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition, and in 2022, Second Prize, Youngest Semifinalist Prize and Audience Prize at the first edition of the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli International Piano Competition. Her debut album released in 2024 features live recordings from her performances at the Michelangeli Competition.
Liu made her debut with the Cleveland Orchestra in 2023. Another orchestral debut was in February 2025 with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and Lionel Bringuier performing Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 at La Folle Journée de Nantes, a concert which was livestreamed on ARTE. In August 2025 she debuts with Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse performing Mozart Piano Concerto No. 22 and in October will return to Japan to debut with the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Eva Ollikainen.
Previous recital highlights include performances at Hyogo Prefectural Arts and Culture Center, Hanoi Opera House, and Sala São Paulo. Throughout the 24/25 season, Liu appeared in many prominent festivals and venues, including the Société des Arts de Genève, International Chopin Piano Festival in Duszniki Zdrój, International Chopin and his Europe Festival in Warsaw, Nohant Festival Chopin, Festival La Grange de Meslay, Place des Arts Montreal, National Theater and Concert Hall Taipei and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts-Weiwuying. In 25/26, she has been invited to perform recitals in Berlin, Lyon, Lille, Musashino, Nagoya, Seoul, Saint Paul, and Portland and will return to La Folle Journée de Nantes.
In addition to playing the piano, Sophia also enjoys composition and in recent years has composed dozens of piano works.
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"A true phenomenon"
— Crescendo Magazine
"From her first note in the Mephisto Waltz No. 1, it was obvious that she was in complete command. To play with so much poise and authority at such a young age is truly awe inspiring."
— Boston Musical Intelligencer
“I am lost for words. I listened by chance to Sophia intrigued by Prof Paleczny saying that she was a name to watch. That must be the understatement of the century!”
— ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentary.com