Bairun Liu

Bairun Liu (b. 2000) began his musical studies at the age offiveand quickly demonstrated exceptional promise. Born in Kaifeng, China, hefirst studied piano with Professor Xiaoyu Gu at Henan University. In 2009, he was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music Elementary School in Beijing, where he studied with Professors Yuanpei Lai and Yue Li, and with the esteemed pedagogue Jin Zhang. He later received artistic guidance from Guangren Zhou, Yuan Ling, and Xinning Zhang. A performance for the late master Yang Jun earned high praise, and Yang predicted a bright future for him.

Liu continued his training at the Central Conservatory of Music Middle School, representing the school in cultural exchange performances in Hong Kong and Macau. In 2016, he moved to New York after being admitted to The Juilliard School Pre-College Division while also attending the Professional Children’s School. At Juilliard, he studied with Professor Victoria Mushkatkol, performed in venues including Lincoln Center, Paul Hall, Kaufman Hall, and Morse Hall, and participated in masterclasses with distinguished pianists.

In 2019, Liu entered the New England Conservatory (NEC) to pursue his undergraduate studies with Meng-Chieh Liu. During his time at NEC, he earned a top-three placement in the NEC Piano Concerto Competition and performed at Williams Hall. His notable projects included participation in the Beethoven Marathon celebrating the composer’s 250th birthday, where he performed Beethoven’s Sonata in D Major, and a performance of Amy Beach’s Prelude and Fugue in Jordan Hall in 2021. In 2022, he attended the PianoTexas International Academy and Festival.

After completing his Bachelor of Music degree in 2023, Liu remained at NEC to pursue a Master of Music degree, which he completed in 2025. He was selected as one of the featured pianists in the concert series“Gabriel Fauré and His Students,” curated by Bruce Brubaker, and performed in Jordan Hall. He was also selected for major festivals including the Gijón International Piano Festival (2024), the Aspen Music Festival (2025), and PianoTexas (2022, 2025). During his graduate studies, he actively engaged in community outreach and performed in venues such as the Boston Public Library’s Rabb Lecture Hall and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, including four-hand piano programs. He is currently continuing his studies at the New England Conservatory as a Doctor of Musical Arts student in piano performance.

Bairun Liu’s artistry and dedication have been recognized through numerous awards. In China, he won the Silver Prize at the 3rd China Youth Art Talent Selection National Finals Piano Competition at age six, followed by the Chinese Works Performance Award and a Gold Prize in the Henan selection round of the 2nd China Cadenza Youth Piano Competition at age seven, later earning Second Prize in the nationalfinals. Internationally, he received First Prize at the 4th Morly International Music Festival Piano Competition (2016, New York) and First Prize in the Chamber Music Division of the Camerata Artists International Competition (2018, New York). He also won First Prize at the 30th Young Musician International Competition “Città di Barletta”(2020, Italy).