Already busy on a marathon, sold-out tour, Bruce Xiaoyu Liu has yet to process the enormity of his latest piano competition victory, Chen Nan reports.

Chinese Canadian pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu performs at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, which was held in Warsaw in October. The 24-year-old won the top place at the event. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, which was held in Warsaw from Oct 2-21, crowned Chinese Canadian Bruce Xiaoyu Liu as its champion, catapulting the 24-year-old to stardom.

Over a month after his win, Liu says he still feels overwhelmed and "needs time to digest what actually happened".

"I was not expecting that. People ask me about how I feel about the win, but I haven't really had time to think about it. The results' announcement took place in the middle of the night, and soon afterward, I was backstage and being told about the upcoming concert schedule," says Liu, via video call.

He was, at the time, preparing for a concert with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at Seoul Arts Center on Nov 27, just one of many performances on his marathon tour schedule.

"I've dreamed about this kind of life, touring and meeting lots of people in different places. I believe it's a dream for many pianists. But now it's really happening, which seems a bit crazy," Liu says. "In the beginning, the fast-paced working schedule made me anxious, but now I am adapting to it.

"I guess that I need more time to review and think about what actually happened, but right now, I need to focus on my concerts."

Chinese Canadian pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu performs at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, which was held in Warsaw in October. The 24-year-old won the top place at the event. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The prestigious competition was first held in 1927 and had taken place every five years since 1955.However, the event, which was last held in 2015, had to be delayed by an extra year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking fluent Mandarin, Liu, born in Paris and raised in Montreal, Canada, says the lockdown helped him concentrate on music and allowed him to gain a sense of inner peace. He read letters and books about Chopin. To keep a sense of freshness and inspiration, he decided to play music by other composers.

"When I played Chopin again before the competition, I found that I had gained new insight into the composer and his work, which I had failed to notice before. During the pandemic, I had lots of time studying his notes, which inspired me in a different way," the pianist says.

"When we play just one composer, it's inevitable that we will put our own personality into it. The way someone plays the piano mirrors themselves. As for Chopin, many people would consider his sound very nostalgic and sad, and feel that his music has so much suffering, because he could not go back to his country. My understanding about Chopin is more of a kind of happy man, because I, myself, am quite a happy and optimistic person," Liu says, adding that one of his favorite artists is Charlie Chaplin, whose comedic characters "inspire optimism".

Liu recalls that he didn't feel nervous during the competition because he had practiced the pieces many times, and even pictured himself performing in the concert hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic, one of the oldest musical institutions in Europe, where the Chopin competition was held.

"I didn't listen to the other competitors, since I wanted to concentrate on my own performances," he says. "What I needed to do was to show the same level as my daily practice."

Chinese Canadian pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu performs at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, which was held in Warsaw in October. The 24-year-old won the top place at the event. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

A graduate of the Montreal Conservatoire, Liu is currently a student of Dang Thai Son, who, when he won the Chopin competition in 1980, was the first Asian to do so. He is one of the competition's 17 jury members.

Asked about his study with Dang, Liu says in a way they are "like very good friends or family members".

"We not only talk about music, but also about the issues of everyday life," he says.

Liu enjoys listening to music played by older generation pianists "because piano-playing tastes have changed so much between now and 50 years ago", he says.

"Somehow those older players are closer to what these composers actually wanted, because of the way they lived. Today, we focus too much on technique and perfection. They focused more on tone, melody and singing, which is so special," he says.

Liu never thought about winning the award just like he never planned to become a pianist. Liu's father, a lover of the arts, saw his son playing an electronic organ at home for fun at the age of 7 and arranged a piano teacher for him. Since Liu also had many other hobbies, like playing chess, reading, swimming and watching movies, he didn't spend much time practicing the musical instrument.

"My father never forced me to practice. I just played for 15 to 20 minutes, which allowed me to keep a passion for it," Liu recalls. "Like many children, I got bored with piano, and even considered quitting when I was about 15. I stopped playing the piano for three weeks before I decided to play it again. Then I realized that I really enjoy playing and that I am really devoted to this hobby."

Bruce Xiaoyu Liu at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. His concert schedule is booked through 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

He showed his musical talent by winning some awards in Canada, including the grand prize of the OSM Standard Life Competition in 2014.

Liu's parents are both from Beijing and later studied in Paris. So he grew up in a Chinese family with an environment full of Chinese culture. Liu likes reading Chinese novels, especially martial arts novels by Louis Cha. Before the pandemic, he would return to China two to three times every year with his parents.

"The mix of so many cultures has influenced me and enabled me to be very open-minded," he says. "It's always good to be back in China. Everything is so vibrant. I am also looking forward to giving concerts there."

On Nov 19, an album of his live recordings during the Chopin competition was released by Deutsche Grammophon, including Chopin's Etude in C Sharp Minor Op 10 No 4 and Don Giovanni Variation.

Now, the pianist's concert schedule is booked through 2023. Other than Chopin, he wants to play the works of composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Franz Liszt.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn