photograph by Adrian Malloch

Shan Liu performs in Creepy-Crawly Carnival.

Shan Liu, a 15-year-old pianist and Year 11 student at Westlake Boys High School, is rapidly gaining recognition as one of New Zealand’s most promising young classical musicians. Under the mentorship of renowned pianist Stephen De Pledge, Shan has achieved remarkable success on both national and international stages.

His accolades include top prizes at major international competitions such as the Grand Jury Prize at the 8th Macao International Piano Competition, Grand Gold Prize at the Pacific Rim International Music Competition, and Gold Award at the GOCAA New York International Music Competition. He has also won First Place at the César Franck International Piano Competition (Belgium) and the International Piano Competition for Young Musicians (The Netherlands).

In New Zealand, Shan made history in 2023 as the youngest-ever winner of the Lewis Eady National Junior Piano Competition and received the VAC Classical Music Award. In 2024, he was honoured with the GOCAA Young Artist Award and the AIMES Emerging Talent Award. That same year, he became the first New Zealand pianist invited to the prestigious Morningside Music Bridge Program at the New England Conservatory in Boston—a fully funded residency offering mentorship from world-class musicians.

Shan has performed as a Featured Soloist with the NZSO National Youth Orchestra in 2024, and the Manukau Symphony Orchestra (MSO) for 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons. In 2025, he won the First Place at the National Concerto Competition, becoming the youngest winner in the event’s 57-year history.

In 2024, his international reputation expanded further when he became the first New Zealand young pianist invited to the prestigious Morningside Bridge Music Program (MMB) at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, a fully funded, one-month program that offers mentorship from some of the world’s leading musicians.

Shan's performances have graced renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Sydney Opera House, and Auckland Town Hall. His solo recital at the 2022 Beethoven Orbit Festival in Aachen, Germany, garnered widespread acclaim for his technical brilliance and emotive interpretation.

He has collaborated with many of New Zealand's leading orchestras, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, NZSO National Youth Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra (APO) Up Close Concerts, Auckland Youth Orchestra, Manukau Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Symphony Orchestra, Bay of Plenty Symphonia, St. Matthews Chamber Orchestra, and Orchestra Auckland, making his orchestral debut at the age of nine.