Meet our piano, cello, and upright bass instructor...Dr. Shaolan Liou (aka Sharon)
Principle Bass Biography
Dr, Shaolan Liou (aka Sharon) enjoys an orchestral performinng experience of over 40 years, spanning 15 countries on 3 continents, with world-renowned conductors and soloists, such as Yehudi Menuhin, Pierre Boulez, Mstislav Rostropovich, Kurt Sanderling, Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, Christopher Eschenbach, Michael Tilson Thomas, Neemi Jarvi, Eri Klas, Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, and Elly Ameling. Dr. Liou was twice the first-prize winner of the National Music Competition in Taiwan and a judge for the Chicago Symphony's Young Musicians Competitions. She received numerous certificates, scholarships, and awards, and was recognized as an "Alien of Extraordinary Ability" by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. She holds a Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University, and both Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Likewise, she taught at Lawrence University, Capital University, and the American School of Double Bass and coached for several youth, community, and homeschool orchestras. Furthermore she performed with the Columbus Symphony, Santa Cruz County Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Pacific Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Disney's Young Musicians Orchestra at Ravinia Festival, New Britain Symphony, and Nutmeg Symphony, among many others. This will be Dr. Liou's third return to performing at Carnegie Hall.
General Biography
Sharon Liou received her Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University, as well as her Master's and Bachelor's degrees from San Francisco Conservatory of Music. With over 40 years of performance experience spanning 15 countries across 3 continents, she has had the privilege of performing with esteemed conductors and soloists. Musicians she has collaborated with include Yehudi Menuhin, Pierre Boulez, Mstislav Rostropovich, Alexander Schneider, Kurt Sanderling, Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, Christopher Eschenbach, Michael Tilson Thomas, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, Renée Fleming, Ellie Ameling, and Richard Stoltzman, among many others,
on world stages such as Carnegie Hall, Vienna Concert Hall, Berlin Concert Hall, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Chicago Symphony Hall, San Francisco Symphony Hall, and Tokyo Concert Hall, among numerous other venues.
Here in Connecticut, Ms. Liou actively performs with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony, Connecticut Lyric Opera, New Britain Symphony, Nutmeg Symphony, Wallingford Symphony, and Bridgeport Symphony.
Ms. Liou’s professional training in her youth made her a well-rounded musician. She was tested musically gifted at age eight and was placed in a very rigorous and specially designed music program from third grade to twelfth grade. This program encompassed a wide range of musical disciplines, including 22 hours of weekly training in lessons for two instruments, music theory, music history, sight-singing, ear-training and dictation, recorder, drumming, chorus, chamber music, conducting, orchestra, music analysis, composition and more. As a result of her training and dedication, Ms. Liou has been the recipient of numerous certificates, scholarships, and awards on local, national, and international levels. Most notably, she has twice been the first prize winner of the National Music Competition in Taiwan and has been recognized with the Alien of Extraordinary Ability award by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to ultimately become an American citizen.
Besides being an accomplished performer with various musical instruments, Ms. Liou has also made significant contributions to music education, having taught at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, Capital University in Ohio, and the American School of Double Bass in Ohio. Additionally, she has served as a coach for the Laudate Homeschool Orchestra, Chicago Youth Orchestra, and several community orchestras. Over the past 30 years, she has maintained a teaching studio for piano, cello, and bass, catering to students of all levels from ages 3 to 88. She is currently the music educator at several homeschool cooperatives in Connecticut, teaching recorder, bucket drumming, chorus, hand bells, and music appreciation classes. She will be offering the same classes here at the Windsor Music Center as demands arise.
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