Education
MM—The Hartt School | University of Hartford
DMA —the Hartt School | University of Hartford
BM—Wuhan Conservatory of Music | University of Hartford
Yuanyuan Liu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Hartt School, University of Hartford, where she also earned her Master’s degree under the mentorship of Professor Paul Rutman. During her studies, she received additional coaching from Jose Ramos Santana and Luiz de Moura Castro. Originally from China, Yuanyuan began her piano journey at the age of six and received her early formal training at the Affiliated School of Wuhan Conservatory of Music, where she later completed her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance.
During her studies, she consistently earned numerous scholarships and distinguished herself in prestigious competitions. She was awarded the Evelyn Bonar Storrs Scholarship, the Fuller Talent Award, and the Irene Kahn Piano Scholarship. Her competition accolades include First Prize at the Chopin Memorial Competition held during the Hong Kong International Piano Competition, the Excellence Prize at the Classic Piano Sonata Competition in Wuhan, and Second Prize at the Yueyang Pugongying Televised Piano Competition.
Her performances span across Asia, the United States, and Puerto Rico, including solo recitals and lecture tours in cities such as New York, San Juan, Malibu, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Wuhan, Ji’an, Yueyang, Changsha, and Pingjiang. Yuanyuan has performed in esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, Sala Anthony “Junior” Soto Hall at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, Lincoln Theater, Ji’an Baoli Concert Hall, Qintai Concert Hall, Bianzhong Concert Hall, Steinway Garden Hall, and the Yueyang Arts and Conference Exhibition Center. In 2023, following a successful solo recital, she was chosen as the Cultural Ambassador for her hometown, Pingjiang. She has also collaborated extensively as an accompanist and chamber musician. Additionally, she has been featured as a performer with the Hartford Music Club and served as a guest artist at the Connecticut Virtuosi Summer Music Institute & Festival.
With over 13 years of teaching experience, Yuanyuan is a dedicated piano pedagogue who has studied piano pedagogy and Suzuki Method. She has been recognized multiple times as an outstanding teacher, with her students excelling in competitions and gaining admission to prestigious universities in the United States. She currently teaches at the Hartt School Community Division.
Yuanyuan has also served as a judge for numerous competitions. Her adjudication experience includes the 9th Steinway & Sons International Piano Competition (Chair of the Jury), the 34th United States Open Music Competition, and the Young Musician Festival organized by the Schubert Club of Fairfield County. She has been invited to serve as a judge for the Concert Star International Music Competition at Carnegie Hall, reflecting her growing recognition as an adjudicator in the field. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Virtuoso Pianists Competition organized by the Hartford Music Teachers Alliance, and as a Board Member of the Connecticut Bach Festival, where she contributes to artistic planning, competition design, and community engagement.
Teaching Philosophy:
My goal as a teacher is for my students to realize their own ideas by building on their strengths, acknowledging their potential to grow, and showing them how to understand material effectively as I guide them towards a precise application of their skills and knowledge. I teach with high expectations and require perseverance and willingness to work hard from my students, but I also maintain an open mind, warmth and positivity. It is important for me that I also learn from my students, peers and my own teachers so that I can grow myself and keep improving my own standards. I strive to provide a learning environment that values each student’s own thoughts and adjusts to their individual styles of learning. At the same time, I ensure that their learning progress meets or exceeds expectations.