2024 Contestants
Yongqiu Liu
China
Age 23
Sponsored by Bryan and Macrine Helbert
Hosted by Dr. Peter & Rose Petroff
Chinese pianist Yongqiu Liu has been praised by conductor Benjamin Zander as “an amazing pianist, playing with such flair, spirit and terrific authority.” Born in Chongqing City, Liu received her early musical education at the Shanghai Conservatory Middle School under Ting Zhou and Zhe Tang. She made her solo recital debut at age 13 in China’s Consulate General of Poland and concerto debut with the Novosibirsk National Symphony Orchestra (Russia) at age 15.
Yongqiu has won the First Prize at Asian Piano Open Competition and Second Prize at Chopin International Youth Piano Competition (Poland), USASU Bosendorfer Competition (U.S.), and International Jeunessess Music Competition (Serbia). She is also a laureate of the 2018 Malta Piano Competition, Tchaikovsky International Music Youth Competition, EPTA Stanislav Stancic International Piano Competition, New York Festival Concerto Competition, Taiwan Maestro Piano Festival Competition, and Bellagrand International Piano Competition.
Yongqiu has performed at the New York Steinway Concert Hall, Boston Symphony Orchestra Hall, London’s BriYen, Hamburg’s Mendelssohn Hall, Shanghai Grand Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Concert Hall, Ningbo Grand Concert Hall, Changzhou Grand Theatre, and Chongqing Grand Theatre, and a soloist with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, Serbia National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Armenia Symphony Orchestra, Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Sichuan Conservatory Orchestra, among others.
Liu has also performed at the Rome International Music Festival, “Spring of Shanghai” Music Festival, Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival, Gijon International Piano Festival, “Art Of The Piano” Festival (US), Trentino Music Festival, ClaviCologne Music Festival, BAMA International Music Festival, and the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy.
Completing studies at the New England Conservatory of Music under Wha Kyung Byun and Alexander Korsantia, Liu is currently pursuing her Masters at Yale School of Music under Boris Slutsky and Boris Berman.
Repertoire
ROUND I
PROKOFIEV Sarcasm, Op.17
GERSHWIN Selections from Songbook, transcribed for piano solo by Gershwin
Clap yo’ hands
The man I love
Strike up the band
SCHUMANN Sonata No.1, Op.11
ROUND II
BACH Toccata G Major BWV 916
YIQIANG SUN Spring Dance (1978)
LISZT Après une Lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata
DE FALLA Four Spanish Pieces – II & IV
RAVEL La Valse
ROUND III
GUBAIDULINA Chaconne (1962)
AARON PRADO El Colibrí y la Cempasúchil (2023)
ROUND IV
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23, TH 55
Yongqiu Liu
China
Age 23
Sponsored by Bryan and Macrine Helbert
Hosted by Dr. Peter & Rose Petroff
Chinese pianist Yongqiu Liu has been praised by conductor Benjamin Zander as “an amazing pianist, playing with such flair, spirit and terrific authority.” Born in Chongqing City, Liu received her early musical education at the Shanghai Conservatory Middle School under Ting Zhou and Zhe Tang. She made her solo recital debut at age 13 in China’s Consulate General of Poland and concerto debut with the Novosibirsk National Symphony Orchestra (Russia) at age 15.
Yongqiu has won the First Prize at Asian Piano Open Competition and Second Prize at Chopin International Youth Piano Competition (Poland), USASU Bosendorfer Competition (U.S.), and International Jeunessess Music Competition (Serbia). She is also a laureate of the 2018 Malta Piano Competition, Tchaikovsky International Music Youth Competition, EPTA Stanislav Stancic International Piano Competition, New York Festival Concerto Competition, Taiwan Maestro Piano Festival Competition, and Bellagrand International Piano Competition.
Yongqiu has performed at the New York Steinway Concert Hall, Boston Symphony Orchestra Hall, London’s BriYen, Hamburg’s Mendelssohn Hall, Shanghai Grand Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Concert Hall, Ningbo Grand Concert Hall, Changzhou Grand Theatre, and Chongqing Grand Theatre, and a soloist with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, Serbia National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Armenia Symphony Orchestra, Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Sichuan Conservatory Orchestra, among others.
Liu has also performed at the Rome International Music Festival, “Spring of Shanghai” Music Festival, Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival, Gijon International Piano Festival, “Art Of The Piano” Festival (US), Trentino Music Festival, ClaviCologne Music Festival, BAMA International Music Festival, and the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy.
Completing studies at the New England Conservatory of Music under Wha Kyung Byun and Alexander Korsantia, Liu is currently pursuing her Masters at Yale School of Music under Boris Slutsky and Boris Berman.
Repertoire
ROUND I
PROKOFIEV Sarcasm, Op.17
GERSHWIN Selections from Songbook, transcribed for piano solo by Gershwin
Clap yo’ hands
The man I love
Strike up the band
SCHUMANN Sonata No.1, Op.11
ROUND II
BACH Toccata G Major BWV 916
YIQIANG SUN Spring Dance (1978)
LISZT Après une Lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata
DE FALLA Four Spanish Pieces – II & IV
RAVEL La Valse
ROUND III
GUBAIDULINA Chaconne (1962)
AARON PRADO El Colibrí y la Cempasúchil (2023)
ROUND IV
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23, TH 55
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