Mingjia Liu, Principal Oboist of the San Francisco Opera, Oboe Professor at the Tianjin Juilliard School, Faculty-artist at Aspen music festival, former oboe professor at Colburn School, and Vice President of the International Double Reed Society, was born in Qingdao, China. He began his musical journey at the Central Conservatory of Music Middle School under the tutelage of Professor Weidong Wei. He later pursued advanced studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in the United States, where he studied with world-renowned oboists Alex Klein and Robert Walters.
In his Junior year at Oberlin, Liu successfully auditioned for the position of Principal Oboe of the Kansas City Symphony, becoming the youngest principal oboist in a professional American orchestra. In recognition of this extraordinary achievement, Oberlin awarded him an Artist Diploma ahead of schedule. Just one year later, he once again distinguished himself by winning the San Francisco Opera Principal Oboe position, unanimously selected through three rounds of blind auditions from nearly 200 candidates worldwide. San Francisco Opera’s Music Director,
Nicola Luisotti, described his playing as “a voice from heaven.”
Alongside his tenure at the San Francisco Opera, Liu has appeared as guest principal oboist and soloist with ensembles including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra (China), and China National Symphony Orchestra, earning wide acclaim and respect.
Beyond the stage, Liu’s contributions as an educator are equally significant. In 2012, he was invited back to his alma mater to perform and teach at the International Oboe Festival hosted by the Central Conservatory of Music. In 2016, he was appointed Professor of Oboe at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Since 2017, he has served multiple times as a jury member for the International Double Reed Society’s prestigious “Gillet” competition, and in 2018 he was elected Vice President of the Society. That same year, he joined the artist faculties of both the
Aspen Music Festival and the Colburn School.
His students have achieved remarkable success, winning top prizes in competitions such as the Spotlight Awards, the IDRS Gillet Competition, and the Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox Competition, and securing professional positions with leading ensembles including the China Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Chengdu Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Opera House, Grand Tide Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Opera.
Today, Liu is recognized as one of the very few Chinese musicians to have achieved international distinction both as a performer and as an educator. In 2022, he joined the Tianjin Juilliard School, where he is committed to building a more global platform for the next generation of oboists in China.