Fangfang Liu, originally from Henan, China, began studying the classical guitar when she was six. In addition to studying guitar, she also established a strong foundation in piano, sight-singing, theory, and chamber music at the Central Conservatory of Music (Middle School) in Beijing where much of her early training took place.
Fangfang has placed in competitions nationally and internationally including the Columbus State University Guitar Symposium, Florida Guitar Festival & Competition, Indiana International Guitar Festival & Competition, University of Louisville Guitar Festival, Matinee Musicale Collegiate Scholarship Competition, and Thailand International Guitar Competition.
As well as sharing the stage with Grammy-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ), she has performed on China Central Television, at the National Center for the Performing Arts, Peking University Hall in Beijing, Sursa Performance Hall in Indiana, the Knoxville Guitar Society in Tennessee, and the University of Minnesota among others. Fangfang also premiered Hear the Wind, a piece dedicated to her and performed at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Maui Island, Hawaii. Her performance of Imprints from the Forest for clarinet and guitar was also selected as a winner in the International Clarinet Association Competition. The guitar and animation short in which she participated, A Falling Loop, was selected as a finalist in the New York Animation Film Awards (NYAFA).
A graduate of the Schwob School of Music, she earned her Bachelor of Performing Arts degree (magna cum laude) studying with Dr. Andrew Zohn. She then obtained her Master of Music degree from the Jacobs School of Music where she also served as an associate instructor at Indiana University. Fangfang also studied Renaissance lute with the legendary Nigel North.
Currently Fangfang is pursuing her Master of Musical Arts in guitar with professor Benjamin Verdery at the Yale School Music. She now performs regularly as a lute player with Yale Collegium Musicum, and is serving as an instructor of secondary lessons at Yale University as well as a teaching artist in the Music in Schools Initiative, as a part of the Yale School of Music.
