Sophia Liu | Bologna Festival 2026

On Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at 8:30 p.m. at the Teatro Auditorium Manzoni in Bologna, Sophia Liu will perform in concert: Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Balakirev between poetry and virtuosity.

PROGRAMME:

• Fryderyk Chopin Nocturne in B major, Op. 9 No. 3
• Fryderyk Chopin Four Mazurkas, Op. 33
• Fryderyk Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
• Fryderyk Chopin Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Dumka in C minor, Op. 59
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Four Seasons, Op. 37a (selection)
• III. March: The Song of the Lark / VI. June: Barcarolle / VII. July: The Song of the Reaper / VIII. August: The Harvest / IX. September: The Hunt / XI. November: Troika / XII. December: Christmas
• Mily Balakirev Islamey: An Oriental Fantasy, Op. 18

For pianists such as Canada's Sophia Liu (born in 2008), age alone cannot explain the maturity of her playing: lyrical intimacy and virtuosity coexist in a journey that brings song, dance and storytelling to the fore.

Chopin opens with Nocturne Op. 9 No. 3, traverses the folk roots of the Mazurkas and ignites in the drama of the First Ballade and the luminosity of the Scherzo Op. 54. With Tchaikovsky, the melancholic Dumka and the poetic miniatures of the Seasons broaden the expressive horizon. Balakirev closes with Islamey: a dizzying display of “oriental” colour and a test of technical courage, which over time has become a real test of skill.