Haoqing Leo Liu

Haoqing Leo Liu, a year 11 student at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, he studies piano with Glenn Riddle and harpsichord with David Macfarlane. Leo has garnered multiple accolades, notably securing 1st Prizes in the 2022 Steinway and PolMusicA Polish Music Competition, and in the Musical Society of Victoria’s Nehama Patkin and Hephzibah Menuhin Awards. He was a finalist and laureate of the Melbourne Recital Centre’s Bach Competition in 2022 for Piano, in 2023 for Harpsichord and Baroque Competition in 2024 for Harpsichord. Further distinctions in 2023 encompass the 3rd Prize in the Celebrating Chopin Margaret Schofield Memorial, where he emerged as the youngest competitor under 32 years, as well as the Victorian Music Teachers’ Association VMTA Geoffrey McFerran 1st Prize, Victorian Young Performer Finalist, and 3MBS Melbourne Talent winner and Victorian Young Performer of 2023. Additional prizes include 2024 International Piano Competition Grand Prix recipient and 1st Prize in the Australian Concerto Competition in Townsville. In 2022, Leo was a recipient of the Melbourne Conservatorium Young Artist Academy MCYAA scholarship, showcasing his versatility through performances such as the Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 for the Camberwell Music Society, and Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 with the MCYAA orchestra. Additionally, Leo completed his AMEB LMusA Piano Performance Diploma with Distinction. Last year, Leo delivered notable performances, including Live to Air on 3MBS for their Melbourne in Concert program, in the Showcase of the 2023 Sydney International Piano Competition, a Lunchtime Concert at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, and a captivating rendition of Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 with the Maroondah Symphony Orchestra. This year Leo performed for 3MBS Kawai Live series and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy as a soloist with orchestra and choir. Apart from performing solo, Leo has enjoyed playing chamber music and the harpsichord as a continuo player in the Bach Cantata Program at St John’s Southgate, Melbourne.