The Music Conservatory

Meng-Chieh Liu, piano
The Music Conservatory Faculty

A recipient of the 2002 Avery Fisher Career Grant, pianist Meng-Chieh Liu first made headlines in 1993 as a 21-year-old student at The Curtis Institute of Music when he substituted for André Watts on the All-Star Series at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. The concert earned high acclaim from critics and audience alike, and was followed by a number of widely praised performances, including a recital at the Kennedy Center and a concert on the Philadelphia All-Star Series; a Philadelphia Orchestra appearance was also scheduled. Already an accomplished artist at the time, Mr. Liu had made his New York orchestral debut two years earlier. The stellar beginning of Meng-Chieh Liu’s career was abruptly halted by a rare and debilitating illness that affected his connective tissues. Hospitalized and almost immobile for a year, doctors believed his chances for survival were slim and, should he survive, playing the piano would be “absolutely impossible.” With arduous determination and relentless physical therapy, Mr. Liu has been restored to health and now embarks again on his concert career. During the 2001-2 season his performance schedule included U.S. appearances in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle and San Diego, as well as concerts in Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Spain. A dedicated chamber musician as well as solo artist, he has collaborated with musicians in North America, Europe and Asia, in addition to working with artists in other disciplines, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, who invited Mr. Liu to work with his White Oak Dance Project. His concerts have been heard over the airwaves around the world, and a biography on his life was broadcast on Taiwanese National Television.

Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Meng-Chieh Liu began his piano studies early and at age 13 was accepted by The Curtis Institute of Music to study with Jorge Bolet, Claude Frank, and Eleanor Sokoloff. He has received the 2002 Philadelphia Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award and first prizes in the Stravinsky, Asia Pacific Piano and Mieczyslaw Munz competitions. Mr. Liu has been a member of The Curtis Institute’s faculty since 1993, the year he graduated; he joined the CCPA faculty in 2006.

The Music Conservatory The Faculty

Meng-Chieh Liu, piano
CCPA Faculty since 2006