The renowned guqin artist Liu Li is currently a guqin soloist, as well as the ruan player for Melody of Dragon, Inc. and for the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York. Before coming to the US, she was Associate Professor at the Chinese Conservatory of Music, as well as a soloist in their Experimental Orchestra. She was a member of the Chinese Folk Music Orchestra, the Beijing Guqin Research Association and the Shanghai Jinyu Guqin Society.
In 1988 Ms. Liu graduated from the Folk Music Department of the Central Conservatory of Music. Her performance is noted for its generous, rich and mellow tones as well as its skillful execution, full feeling and variation of expression. She excels in musical articulation of emotion, always with vivid highlights and a moving spirit.
Since she moved to America in 1994, Liu Li has been invited frequently to perform and lecture throughout the country. Her collaboration with the New Music Consort of the Manhattan School of Music’s Chamber Orchestra received high praise from the critics. She was invited by China Institute in America to perform in their spring 1995 season, and delivered a performance that captured the attention of many in the music field. She has also performed at Lincoln Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Japanese Society, La Mama Theater, the Metropolitan Museum of Arts and other New York venues. She has featured on a cable TV program in New Jersey and New York (channel 31) titled “The Chinese Guqin–Liu Li’s Artistry.” In February 1996, inviting by Taiwan’s National Music Ensemble in Taipei, Liu Li held a concerto performance in the National Hall of Music as well as a lecture on guqin music, both of which were critically acclaimed.
Liu Li has been invited by both foreign and domestic companies to record a variety of famous guqin music, many of which are contemporary works. Hong Kong’s Hugo Record Company and Germany’s ZDF Broadcasting Station recorded the “Liu Li Guqin Album.” In addition, the Central People’s Broadcasting Station and Radio Shanghai arranged special programs to introduce her music. Radio International Beijing ran a special program that was broadcast to 80 countries around the world and received many enthusiastic responses. In 2002, she collaborated on the movie music recording of “Hero” composed by Oscar winner Tan Dun with world famous Violin master Itzhak Perlman. Her Quqin music can also be heard on the movie soundtrack of “The White Countess”, produced by Merchant Ivory company. In 2010, China Institute in America selected her music “Pu-an’s Incantation” at their special online exhibition Confucius: His Life and Legacy in Art”.
Recently Ms. Liu has been engaged in research on the performance and teaching of guqin, and has gained experience in systematic teaching methods. Her students have won first place in both domestic and foreign guqin competitions. She has lectured and performed at the invitation of Beijing University, Fudan University, the Beijing branch of Germany’s Goethe Institute, Columbia University, Syracuse University, Queens College and other well known centers of learning.
Liu Li is currently one of the only professionally trained guqin players in America.