"He possesses an extraordinary guitar playing ability!"
David Russell
Liu Xianji won the 1st prize at the 50th Francisco Tárrega International Classical Guitar Competition in Spain in 2016, becoming the first Chinese winner of this prestigious competition in half a century. In September 2018, he returned to his alma mater, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, as a high-level talent and is currently an Associate Professor and Master's Supervisor of classical guitar.
In 2017, his debut solo album "Latin Guitar Sonatas" was released by the Spanish label IBS Classical. This album featured the world premiere recording of Roberto Sierra's Sonata, serving a documentary significance. Liu's distinctive interpretation and impeccable technique earned high praise from the composer himself. The CD was subsequently featured in leading European music magazines Scherzo and Ritmo. In August of the same year, his second album, Guitar Recital, was released worldwide by the renowned label Naxos. In August 2020, the Spanish label IBS Classical released his album recorded with the Spanish Radio Television Symphony Orchestra featuring Rodrigo's concertos. In August 2023, Naxos released his fourth solo album, Chinese Romanticism. His latest album, Years Later, recorded with Sony Classical, was released globally in May 2024.
Liu Xianji graduated from the Affiliated Middle School of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Central Conservatory of Music in China, and the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln in Germany. In 2018, he graduated with the highest distinction (summa cum laude) with a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Performance from the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar.
His concert career spans Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, the United States, China, and South Korea. Orchestras he has collaborated with include the Spanish Radio Television Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia (Spain), Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid (Spain), Jenaer Philharmonie (Germany), Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra.
On September 21, 2019, Liu made history as the first Chinese classical guitarist invited to perform with the Spanish Radio Television Symphony Orchestra at the Aranjuez palace in Spain for a dedicated Rodrigo concerto concert.
In 2021, Grammy Award-winning composer Sergio Assad dedicated his work The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals (Los Doce Animales del Zodiaco Chino) to Liu Xianji.
Renowned guitarist David Russell has lauded Liu, stating: "He possesses an extraordinary guitar playing ability!" Guitar legend Ángel Romero praised Liu's playing as "filled with a unique Spanish musical color," calling him "a Chinese musician with the soul of Spanish music."
Liu Xianji's albums:
Liu’s String of Choice