劉孟捷 l 鋼琴

榮獲艾維理費雪職業大賞(Avery Fisher Career Grant)－鋼琴家劉孟捷，於1993年以柯蒂斯音樂學院學生之姿，代替鋼琴大師安德烈．瓦茲（André Watts）於費城音樂廳演出。這個完美的演出，讓劉孟捷首度登上費城當地的新聞頭條，贏得許多高度的讚賞。成功演出之後，一場場大型的音樂會邀約接踵而來，包括華盛頓肯尼迪中心的演出、費城的巨星系列音樂會，以及與費城交響樂團合作演出。蓄勢待發的劉孟捷，其實早已是一位有許多演出經驗與磨練的鋼琴家，於1987年，即已登上紐約卡內基音樂廳的舞台；1991年受邀與紐約少年交響樂團同台演出。

劉孟捷的演奏事業正值蒸蒸日上時，卻被一場突如其來的罕見疾病中斷，亢奮的免疫系統侵蝕了他全身的肌肉、皮膚、關節和心臟等組織。在住院一年多期間，歷經癱瘓、全身無法動彈等狀況的劉孟捷，也讓醫生一度認為他活下來的機會微乎其微，即使能僥幸存活，也不可能繼續他的鋼琴演奏生涯。但劉孟捷憑著堅毅的決心與嚴酷的物理治療，通過重重考驗，奇蹟似的恢覆健康，並繼續活躍在他的演奏舞台上。浴火重生之後，劉孟捷以獨奏家的姿態重返舞台，除舉辦個人鋼琴獨奏會外，也與許多知名指揮和樂團交流，合作對象包含：克裏斯托夫．艾森巴赫 (Christoph Eschenbach)、古斯塔夫．杜達美 (Gustavo Dudamel)、艾倫．吉伯特 (Alan Gilbert) 等大師。

2002年，劉孟捷獲頒艾維理費雪職業大賞（Avery Fisher Career Grant）
及費城音樂基金會職業成就獎（Philadelphia Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award) ，再度肯定他對音樂的執著與專業水準。2008年，劉孟捷也獲選為中華民國第四十六屆十大傑出青年，肯定他在音樂藝術上的成就。劉孟捷的演奏事業相當活躍，除在美國各大城市演出之外，更遍布台灣、香港、日本、韓國、中國、英國、法國、西班牙、保加利亞、委內瑞拉、紐西蘭、澳大利亞等地。此外，劉孟捷亦十分熱衷室內樂演出，與北美、歐洲、澳洲和亞洲許多音樂家多有合作，其中包含知名華人音樂家，如李心草、林昭亮、胡乃元、曾耿元等大師合作演出。

劉孟捷時常受邀參與世界各地的音樂節，並與各國知名音樂家與室內樂團合作演出，如：小提琴家－阿胥肯納吉 (Shmuel Ashkenasi)、詹姆士．巴士威爾 (James Buswell)、溫迪．華納 (Wendy Warner)、大提琴家－大衛．索耶 (David Soyer)、伯納德．格林豪斯 (Bernard Greenhouse)，以及巴洛米歐 (Borromeo String Quartet)和聖勞倫斯 (St. Lawrence String Quartet)弦樂四重奏。除了與音樂相關的演出之外，劉孟捷也曾與舞蹈巨星－米夏．巴瑞希尼可夫 (Mikhail Baryshnikov) 和白橡木舞蹈計劃等，積極參與跨領域的表演藝術演出。劉孟捷的現場音樂會，時常被電台頻道轉撥；台灣的電視台也曾將劉孟捷人生故事作成特輯播出。

近年來，劉孟捷的演出足跡，除了曾完整演出錄製舒伯特鋼琴奏鳴曲外，也於2012-15年完整演出錄製布拉姆斯全系列鋼琴獨奏作品；與台北市立交響樂團錄製了貝多芬第四號與第五號鋼琴協奏曲，於台灣發行；2014年底，與北京紫禁城室內樂團合作；2015年與知名中提琴家李騰，合作錄製全新專輯「1938」；2016年，首次與國立台灣交響樂團合作演出。劉孟捷積極努力的分享音樂，由衷的期許，藉由音樂，帶給社會一股祥和正面的能量。

劉孟捷出生於台灣高雄，曾就讀於高雄鹽埕國小及台北師大附中國中部音樂班，師事李金裏老師及宋允鵬教授。13歲獲台灣區音樂比賽少年組第一名，14歲獲得亞太少年鋼琴大賽冠軍，立刻受到台灣及國際樂壇的矚目。劉孟捷隨即負笈柯蒂斯音樂學院，跟隨Jorge Bolet、Claude Frank及Eleanor Sokoloff等大師學習。16歲時榮獲米耶克茲洛孟茲鋼琴比賽（Mieczyslaw Munz Competition）以及史特拉汶斯基分齡國際大賽（Stravinsky Competition）首獎。

除拓展演奏事業外，劉孟捷在教育傳承上也相當頃心頃力，其教學也深獲學生們的推崇與肯定。自1993年開始任教於柯蒂斯音樂院，他同時擔任過十多年的室內樂演奏教研部主任；2006年受邀至芝加哥羅斯福大學 (Roosevelt University)擔任鋼琴教授；在2014年秋天加入新英格蘭音樂學院 (New England Conservatory)的師資陣容。劉孟捷於2009年加入芝加哥獨奏家樂集 (Chicago Chamber Musicians)，擔任音樂總監一職，其演出被《芝加哥古典樂評》讚譽為「完美無瑕，周衍且均衡的鋼琴演奏」。

Meng-Chieh Liu l Piano

A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, Meng-Chieh Liu first made headlines in 1993 as a 21-year-old student at The Curtis Institute of Music when he substituted at last minute's notice for André Watts at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. The concert earned high acclaim from critics and audience alike, and was followed by a number of widely praised performances, including a recital at the Kennedy Center and a concert on the Philadelphia All-Star Series. Already an accomplished artist at the time, Mr. Liu had made his New York orchestral debut two years earlier.

Following Mr. Liu's triumph in Philadelphia, an appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra was immediately scheduled, but it was not to be. The stellar beginning of his career was abruptly halted by a rare and debilitating illness that affected his connective tissues. Hospitalized and almost immobile for a year, doctors believed his chances for survival were slim and, should he survive, playing the piano would be "absolutely impossible."  With arduous determination and relentless physical therapy, Mr. Liu has been restored to full health and is now once again performing on the concert stage. Since then, he has performed throughout the world as a soloist in recitals and with orchestras under conductors Christoph Eschenbach, Gustavo Dudamel and Alan Gilbert. In 2002, Liu received the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Philadelphia Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award. A sought-after musician and strong advocate of chamber music, Liu performs in music festivals across the globe and has worked with international musicians Shmuel Ashkenasi, David Soyer, Bernard Greenhouse, James Buswell, Wendy Warner as well as the Borromeo and St. Lawrence Quartets. Liu also collaborates with artists in varied disciplines, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project, among other dance companies.  His concerts have been heard over the airwaves around the world, and a biography on his life was broadcast on Taiwanese National Television.

Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Meng-Chieh Liu began his piano studies early, and at age thirteen was accepted by The Curtis Institute of Music to study with Jorge Bolet, Claude Frank, and Eleanor Sokoloff, and received first prizes in the Stravinsky, Asia Pacific and Mieczyslaw Munz piano competitions.  Since 1993, Liu served on the piano and chamber music faculties at The Curtis Institute of Music where he coordinated the piano chamber music program from 1999-2009, and in 2006, he was invited to teach at Roosevelt University. Starting in the Fall of 2014, Liu will also join the faculty at the New England Conservatory. Liu also joined Chicago Chamber Musicians in the fall of 2009, and now serves as Artistic Director of the ensemble, where performances have already been acclaimed for his "faultless, discreetly balanced pianism" (Chicago Classical Review).