Liu Shikun

Liu Shikun
刘诗昆
Born (1939-03-08) March 8, 1939 (age 85)
Tianjin[1]
OriginBeijing, Moscow
Occupation(s)Pianist, composer
InstrumentPiano
Years active1944–present
In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.

Liu Shikun (simplified Chinese: 刘诗昆; traditional Chinese: 劉詩昆; pinyin: Liú Shīkūn; born March 8, 1939) is a Chinese pianist and composer.

He began his piano training at the age of three[2] and started publicly performing by the age of five. He won third prize and the Special Prize of the Liszt International Piano Competition in Budapest in 1956 and was awarded a strand of Franz Liszt's hair. In 1958, he shared with Lev Vlassenko the second prize in the First Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow.[3][4]

Liu became one of China's top concert performers until 1966, when the Cultural Revolution and the Gang of Four attacked the country; Western music was banned and, along with thousands of other artists, Liu was arrested. He stayed in prison for eight years.[5][3]

Liu studied at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music and graduated from the Moscow Conservatory of Music.[4]

References

  1. ^ 獨家披露 公司清盤 被掠一億 劉詩昆細訴二十年悲慘婚姻 (詳盡版) - 時事 - 封面故事 東周網【東周刊官方網站】. East Week (in Traditional Chinese). 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  2. ^ "Liu Shikun: Don't Wish to Be a Mozart When Playing Piano". China.org.cn. 2006-08-02. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  3. ^ a b Trelawny, Petroc (2008-06-05). "Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | China's love affair with the piano". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  4. ^ a b "Liu Shikun - International Piano Competition Shanghai, China". Csipc.org. Archived from the original on 2011-01-15. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  5. ^ Jennes, Gail (1979-04-16). "Pianist Liu Shih-Kun Wins Bravos in Boston After Years of Forced Silence in a Peking Prison". People.com. Retrieved 2012-01-25.


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