Ming-Jui Liu is a San Diego-based guitarist and composer whose work spans performance, composition, and pedagogy. His performances and compositions have been presented throughout Taiwan, the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Liu’s compositions—including The Magic Hour, Summer Nights of Formosa, and Springtime on the Muzha Line—are published by Doberman-Yppan (Canada). His work Mirror of the Sunshine, Op. 3, received Third Place in The American Prize in Composition – Instrumental Chamber Music. In 2022, he was commissioned by the Guitar Foundation of America to compose The Rainy Ketagalan Harbor. In 2025, the Taiwan Guitar Society commissioned Liu to compose the official set piece for the final round of the Taiwan Guitar Competition. The resulting work, Fantasy 1962: Salix kusanoi in Ueno Park, served as the required final-round piece. His original works and arrangements have been performed by internationally recognized artists, including Adam Holzman, João Luiz Rezende Lopes, Connie Sheu, Renato Serrano, Fabricio Mattos, Katerina Chatzinikolau, Veronika Kinnunen, Koh Kazama, and Way Lee. Liu currently serves as Composer-in-Residence for the Taipei Guitar Ensemble.
As a soloist and chamber musician, Liu has appeared at major festivals and institutions worldwide. Notable engagements include the I Seminário Internacional de Violão do IFCE in Brazil (2016), the Long Island Guitar Festival (2017), the Qinling International Guitar Festival (2018), and the Taiwan International Guitar Festival & Competition (2026). He has also presented lecture-recitals and lectures at international venues, including The Art of Transcribing Music at the Résonance Guitar Music Festival (2023) and Bridging Cultures: Chamber Music for Flute and Guitar at the San Diego Flute Guild Spring Festival (2025). In addition, he gave a masterclass at Hunter College in New York in 2021.
Liu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Classical Guitar Performance from Stony Brook University, where he studied with Jerry Willard. During his residency in New York, he also pursued private studies with Kevin Gallagher and furthered his training in harmony, composition, and orchestration with Wen-Chuan Hu, João Luiz Rezende Lopes, and Howie Kenty.
As an educator, Liu has held instructional roles at Purchase College and Stony Brook University. From Fall 2020 to Summer 2022, he was Adjunct Associate Professor at the Conservatory of Music at Huanggang Normal University.
Liu’s album Nostalgia: Original Compositions & Arrangements I is available on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, and other major platforms. His artistic work centers on musical depictions of place, memory, and cultural identity, often inspired by Taiwanese landscapes, urban scenes, and historical narratives.
Doors open at 11:30am.
