The power of individuality: Bruce Liu at Carnegie Hall

Bruce Liu

By Edward Sava-Segal, 26 January 2025

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“his nuanced phrasing and delicate rubato provided a unifying thread”

Reviewed at Carnegie Hall: Stern Auditorium, New York City on 24 January 2025

Tchaikovsky, Les Saisons (The Seasons) for piano, Op.37a or Op.37b

Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake: Dance of the Little Swans (arr. Wild)

Scriabin, Piano Sonata no. 4 in F sharp major, Op.30

Prokofiev, Piano Sonata no. 7 in B flat major, Op.83

Chopin, Waltz no. 19 in A minor, Op.posth, KKIV b/11

Chopin, Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op.66

Rameau, Pièces de clavecin: Les cyclopes

Joplin, Maple Leaf Rag

Bruce Liu, Piano

Yamada and the CBSO’s Walton expedition at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 10th March

In Hamburg, Kazuki Yamada and the CBSO navigate the thorny brilliance of Walton’s First Symphony, proving that ‘difficult’ music can offer an evening’s most profound human connection.

****1

Virtuosity and elegance: Bruce Liu at Carnegie Hall

Susan Stempleski, 20th February

Following his acclaimed 2025 all-Russian recital at Carnegie Hall, the young Canadian pianist returns with a wide-ranging, imaginative program spotlighting his virtuosity and elegance.

****1

Shakespearean drama from the China NCPA Orchestra

Mengguang Huang, 15th August

At the final stop of its European tour, the China NCPA Orchestra, led by Myung-Whun Chung with Bruce Liu, deliver luminous precision, refined Ravel and cinematic Prokofiev at the Elbphilharmonie.

****1

A trio of exiled composers: Petrenko and the RPO at the RFH

David Truslove, 23rd March

Assured performances from the RPO as part of its ongoing “Lights in the Dark” series that brought career correspondences between three markedly different composers.

****1

Hats off: Bruce Liu takes Wigmore Hall by storm

Asher Rubenstein, 14th July

The Chinese-Canadian pianist put his extroversion on full display in an unforgettable Wigmore debut.

*****

Bruce Liu makes a spirited Singapore debut

Chang Tou Liang, 23rd November

The victor at the 2021 Chopin International Piano Competition is predictably brilliant in his Singapore Symphony Orchestra debut.

****1

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Edward Sava-Segal

Edward has been living in New York for the last 25 years, one of the reasons being the extraordinarily rich cultural life in this city. He has studied piano and classical music in his early years. He switched later on to computer science and data architecture but he kept an unwavering interest in following the classical music phenomenon here in New York and in his travels. Edward occasionally reviews fine arts events for the most prestigious literary magazine in Romania, his home country.

The power of individuality: Bruce Liu journeys through the seasons at Carnegie Hall