A young and rare talent from Macau has the elite of the piano world as his champions: Gary Graffman, András Schiff, Richard Goode and Emanuel Ax. He is a serious artist of depth and dedication, who plays with a delicacy of touch and crystalline clarity of expression.
“His playing was a model of sparkling sound, songful shading and impish exuberance.”
– Cleveland Plain Dealer
Program
L. Janáček – In the Mists
F. Schubert – Four Impromptus, D. 935
R. Schumann – Davidsbundlertanze, Op. 6
Links
Learn more about Kuok-Wai Lio.
Biography
In the few years since his graduation in 2010 from the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied piano with Gary Graffman, Kuok-Wai Lio is already embraced as a serious artist of depth and dedication. Born in Macau in 1989, Kuok-Wai began his piano studies at the age of five. In 1997 he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and in 2006 he entered Curtis. His principal teachers have included Gabriel Kwok, Gary Graffman and Peter Frankl. Most recently, Kuok-Wai has been working regularly with András Schiff at international master classes and festivals in Europe.
A regular participant of Open Chamber Music Prussia Cove, and the Marlboro and Santa Fe Chamber Music festivals, Kuok-Wai has also performed with the Macau Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, China Philharmonic, Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, Curtis Chamber Orchestra, Russian Symphony Orchestra and Camerata Salzburg, and has given recitals in Japan, Germany and Italy.
Kuok-Wai has received prizes in international competitions including Fulbright, Gina Bachauer, Seiler, Steinway, Ettlingen and Chopin (Tokyo). In January 2004, he was awarded a Commendation of Merit given by the Chief Executive of Macau. That same year he was invited to perform for the President of China, Hu Jintao, at the fifth anniversary of Macau’s handover to China.