The Chopin Competition

The 24-year-old Canadian pianist shot “from near obscurity to rock-star status in the classical music world” after winning the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition last Autumn, since when his performances worldwide have been showered with critical acclaim. “[He] caused a sensation with a recital that married tradition with originality,” said ResMusica of his Paris debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in January. “You don’t always know where Bruce Liu is taking you, but you feel compelled to follow him.” Working in partnership with the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, Deutsche Grammophon was soon able to issue an album of live recordings captured during the various stages of the competition. The release has earned rave reviews, with Gramophone calling it “one of the most distinguished Chopin recitals of recent years, full of maturity, character and purpose”, while Classics Today praised Liu’s “awesomely effortless virtuosity [which] consistently oozes charisma and insouciance”.