Internationally acclaimed pianist Meng-Chieh LIU is the first Asian and the youngest piano faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he earned a reputation as a “pianistic prodigy of global caliber.” At the height of his career, a rare illness forced him to pause his performance life. Yet through unwavering determination and grueling physical therapy, he made a miraculous recovery. Emerging from this life-altering journey, LIU gained profound insight into the essence of music.

Following his three  recital programs themed around life, love, and death in 2022, LIU now returns to the National Taichung Theater’s “Fall for Great Souls” series. His first program, presented in celebra-tion of the NTT’s 10th anniversary, features a selection of nine operatic excerpts noted for their vivid theatricality and wide-ranging musical styles. The program includes selections from Orfeo ed Euridice, Carmen, La vida breve, Tannhäuser, Die Fledermaus, and piano highlights from Granados’s Goyescas, offering a vivid palette of musical storytelling.

The second program centers on the art of the fugue, spanning works from the Baroque to the modern era. Through five carefully chosen pieces from Bach, Liszt, Hindemith, and Barber, LIU traces the fugue’s evolution across time, revealing its thematic, structural, and aesthetic transformations in each period.

These two contrasting recital programs reflect the musical depth forged through LIU’s life experience and artistic devotion. Together, they mark a culmination of LIU’s pianistic journey and offer profound interpretations of each carefully selected work.

10/31

G. W. Gluck/ Sgambati/ Kempff: 'Dances of the Blessed Spirits' from Orfeo ed Euridice

Enrique Granados: Selections from Goyescas, Op.11
'Los Requiebros'
'El Fandango de Candil'
'Quejas, ó la Maja y el Ruiseñor'

J. Strauss II/A. Grünfeld: 'Soiree de Vienne' from Die Fledermause, Op.56

Wagner/ Liszt: Overture from Tannhäuser 

Manuel de Falla: 'Danze Española' from La Vida Breve

Bizet/ Busoni: Carmen Fantasie

Bernstein/ Sean Chen: Candide Overture 

11/2

Bach: English Suite No. 6 in D minor, BWV811

Hindemith: Piano Sonata No. 3
I. Ruhig bewegt
II. Sehr lebhaft
III. Mäβig schnell
IV. Fuge. Lebhaft

Bach/Liszt: Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV543

Barber: Piano Sonata, Op.26

Pianist／LIU Meng-chieh

Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, pianist Meng-Chieh LIU first garnered public attention in 1993 when, as a student at the Curtis Institute of Music, he stepped in at the last minute to substitute for legendary pianist André Watts at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. His brilliant performance made head-lines in the local press and earned widespread acclaim, leading to invitations from major concert halls around the world.

LIU has been recognized with numerous prestigious honors, including the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Philadelphia Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award. In 2008, he was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons by the Republic of China (Taiwan), a testament to his artistic achievement and professional stature.

In 2009, he joined the Chicago Chamber Musicians and served as its Artistic Director from 2011 to 2014. During this time, he collaborated closely with leading musicians, including Larry Combs, Gail Williams, and Charles Geyer of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, demonstrating exceptional leader-ship and artistry in the realm of chamber music.