Virtuoso pianist's mastery of the keyboard ensures a hectic schedule.

In October 2021, Chinese Canadian pianist Bruce Liu Xiaoyu claimed first place at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.

Since that night in Warsaw, Poland, he has had a hectic world tour, performing in concert halls from New York and Milan, to Germany and South Korea.

On Oct 25, the 27-year-old gave a recital at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, playing works by Bach, Chopin and Kapustin. It was the first time that Liu has been in Beijing since 2021.

"I used to return to Beijing every summer, visiting my grandparents," Liu says. "The city is like my second home."

Speaking fluent Mandarin, Liu, born in Paris and raised in Montreal, Canada, admits that the "marathon-like" world tour is "a little bit crazy" and he is trying to catch up with the new pace of his life after the competition.

"I used to play two concerts a year but now I play about 100 concerts a year," he says."My tour schedule has already been planned until 2026."