In tune with the times

On Nov 3 and 4, he also performed with the China NCPA Orchestra under the baton of conductor Chung Myung-whun, playing Chopin's Piano Concerto No 1 in E Minor, Op 11, which Liu performed during the final round of the Chopin competition.

"I have played the piano concerto many times since the competition and I am trying to avoid it, but I know that people expect me to play that piece because it has kind of become my 'signature work'," says Liu.

"At different concert halls and with different audiences, I want to present the piece differently each time I play it during the tour."

"We just had our first rehearsal and (he is a) marvelous pianist; a very sensitive player," says Chung at the NCPA.

"He joked with me that he is a fan of Bruce Lee so that's what I call him. He looks a little bit like Bruce Lee and I feel well-protected."

Sitting in the office of the Universal Music Group in Beijing, the 25-year-old pianist also announced his debut studio album, titled Waves: Music by Rameau . Ravel . Alkan. Released by Deutsche Grammophon on Nov 3, the new album features repertoire by three French composers, spanning the 18th and early 20th centuries.

From the extensive output of Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764), the pianist plays excerpts from the Pieces de clavecin and Nouvelles suites de pieces de clavecin, including programmatic works such as La poule and Les sauvages, as well as dance movements. Rameau composed for the harpsichord, before the invention of the piano, and Liu has spent time studying with harpsichordists to refine the subtleties of his interpretations.

He also recorded the exuberant Le festin d'Esope and the peaceful Barcarolle, both by Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-88). Liu discovered both when he was a student.

From the 20th century, Liu chose to play Miroirs by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Several of the suite's five movements reflect the theme of nature that runs through this album.

"I call the album, Waves, because the music pieces featured in the album, such as Alkan's Barcarolle (Boatman) and Ravel's Une barque sur l'ocean (A Boat on the Ocean), create a scene of the changing sea," says Liu. "It also goes with my approach to music, which is never fixed."