Lang Ning Liu

Pianist Lang Ning Liu is dedicated to reviving modern and classical repertoire, whose performances are noted for coupling breathtaking technical mastery with profound and eloquent musicality. Her uncommon artistic range and the compelling immediacy of her interpretations invite listeners to distinctively original concert experiences. Anthony Tommasini of New York Times hailed her as "a sensitive, extremely compelling artist", and praised her "elegant pianism, warmth and artistic maturity". Musical America has remarked of her "miraculous strength and confident breadth".

This season, Ms. Liu’s international highlights will take her to three continents around the world, including a return visit to the Liao Ning Philharmonic, as well as recitals and chamber performances in New York, Washington D.C., Toronto, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenyang.

During the past few seasons Ms. Liu has enjoyed successful performances all around the world. In 2008, she made her debut recital in the Gijon International Music Festival by playing the inaugural concert that was attended by some of Northern Spain’s dignitaries. Ms. Liu has recently returned from a concert tour of several major cities in China with the Liao Ning Philharmonic. In 2004, Ms. Liu’s New York premiere of the Emerson Concerto by Charles Ives with The Juilliard Orchestra and Anne Manson brought the cheering audience to its feet. She has also performed as a guest soloist with numerous orchestras including the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra, Shreveport Symphony, Southern Missouri Symphony, Cathedral Bluffs Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, University of Toronto Wind Ensemble, and the Asian Youth Orchestra. Ms. Liu has premiered and recorded commissioned works by several Canadian composers, including the works of Vincent Ho, Clifford Crawley.

Together with equally accomplished pianist, Lu Wang, they formed the Juilliard Duo in 2005 during their studies at the Juilliard School exploiting a vast repertoire for two pianos. Performances have taken the duo to prestigious venues and television appearances in United States and in China, attracting considerable attention. In 2009, the duo gave their sold-out Canadian debut in Toronto which they donated the concert’s proceeds to the Chinese Cultural Center’s Sichuan Earthquake Rebuilding Fund. They plan to continue servicing the community through their future projects.

While performing takes up a significant portion of her time each season, she continues to devote herself to educational and artistic outreaching endeavors. Ms. Liu is serving as Youth Ambassador for the Chinese Culture Center of Greater Toronto. She is the Co-Artistic Director of the 1st CCC Toronto International Piano Competition in 2010, as well as the CCC Canadian Piano Competition. In 2009, she has been invited to serve as an adjudicator at the MTNA Competition in Maryland.

A native of China, Lang Ning Liu began her piano studies at the age of 6, though largely self-taught except for some guidance by her mother. She made her debut in a local auditorium when she was 8. At the age of 11, Ms. Liu entered the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing with the highest mark. During her studies there, Ms. Liu made her orchestral debut in 1992 with the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1, and was the first and second laureate in the China-France Mi Do International Piano Competition and the Xing Hai National Piano Competition respectively. Ms. Liu entered The Glenn Gould School in Toronto on full scholarship at the age of 17 where she began her undergraduate studies as a student of Marietta Orlov. Recently, she completed her studies in Master of Music in Piano Performance at The Juilliard School in New York under the tutelage of Julian Martin, and studied chamber music with Jerome Lowenthal and Seymour Lipkin. She currently studies with the renowned pianist Dang Thai Son.

SOLO REPERTOIRE Isaac Albeniz (1860 - 1909) Iberia, Book 3, "Navarra" Charles Valentine Alkan (1813 - 1888) Symphony for Solo Piano, Op.39 No.4 - No.7 Souvenirs: Trois Morceaux dans le genre pathetique, Op 15, "Morte" Johann Sebestian bach (1685 - 1750) Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, BWV 903 Prelude and Fugue Book 1 & 2 (selections) Partita No.2, BWV 826; No.6, BWV 830 Italian Concerto, BWV 971

Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981) Piano Sonata, Op.26 Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) Piano Sonatas Op.10 No.2; Op.10 No.3; Op.14; Op.31 No.2; Op.53; Op.57; Op.81a; Op.109; Op.110 Frederick Chopin (1810 - 1849) Etude Op.10; Op.25 Scherzo No.1; No.2; No.4 Sonata Op.35 Fantasy Op.49 Ballade No.1; No.3 Mazurka, Op.63; Op.41 Andante Spianato & Grand Polonaise Op.22

John Corigliano (1938 - ) Etude Fantasy Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918) Images, Book 1 Jeux de Vagues L'Isle joyeuse Etudes Book 1 & Book 2 (selections) Franz Joseph Haydn (1733 - 1809) Piano Sonatas No.15; No.20; No.21; No. 30; No.40; No. 47; No.50 Jeux de Vagues Vincent Chee-Yung Ho (1975 - ) Reflections in the Water Gyorgy Ligeti (1923 - 2006) Etude Book 1, No.2 & No.4

Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) Transcendental Etudes No.4; No.5; No.8; No.10; No.11 Mephisto Waltz Paganinni Etude No.6 Etudes de Concert Concert Paraphrase of Verdi's "Rigoletto" Rhapsodie Espanole Hungarian Rhapsodie, No.6 Funerailles Sonata in b minor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) Piano Sonatas K.264; K.325; K.330; K.310; K.333; K.576 Zhou Long (1953 - ) Wu Kui Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) Piano Sonata, No.2; No.8 Tocatta Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937) Sonatine La Valse Le tombeau de couperin Jeaux d'eau

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) Etude Tableaux Op.33, No.3 in c minor; No.5; No.6 Etude Tableaux Op.39, No.6; No.8 Prelude Op.23, No.4; No.6 Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) Sonata D.568; D.958 Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856) Carnival Op. 9 Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915) Sonatas No.2; No.4 Fantasy Op.28 Etude, Op.8, No.11

CONCERTO REPERTOIRE Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981) Piano Concerto Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) Concerto No.1; No.2; No.5 Triple Concerto Frederick Chopin (1810 - 1849) Concerto No.1; No.2 Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907) Concerto Op.16

George Gershwin (1898 - 1937) Concerto in F Charles Ives (1874 - 1954) Emerson Overture for Piano and Orchestra Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) Concerto no.1 Totentanz Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) Concerto Op.25 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) Concerto K453; K488; K503; K595 Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) Concerto No.3 Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937) Concerto in G Concerto for the Left Hand Sergei rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) Concerto No.2, No.3 Camille Saint-Saens (1835 - 1921) Concerto No.2

Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856) Concerto Op.54 Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) Concerto No.1 Xian Xinghai (1905 - 1945) The Yellow River Concerto CHAMBER MUSIC Coming soon.