Heng LIU (1987- )

Principal Percussionist of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Orchestra, Percussion Teacher at the School of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Executive Director of China Percussion Association, and signed composer of Edition Svitzer Publisher from Denmark.

Heng LIU began learning percussion from his father, Yaguang LIU, a percussion professor at the Xi'an Conservatory of Music, at an early age. In 2005, he was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Professors Gang LIU and Biao LI, obtaining both bachelor's and master's degrees. During his studies, he won first place in the Professional Youth Group of the National Youth Percussion Competition. In 2010, Heng LIU joined the NCPA Orchestra with outstanding results, serving as Principal Percussionist. In 2025, he obtained his doctoral degree in Western Percussion under the supervision of Professor Biao LI, a doctoral supervisor at the Central Conservatory of Music.

As an internationally active percussionist, Heng LIU has served as a juror at major domestic and international percussion festivals, and has given masterclasses and solo concerts. These events include the Italian International Percussion Competition and Festival, International Online Percussion Competition (Italy), Greek International Percussion Festival, National Youth Percussion Competition, World Chinese Youth Percussion Competition, NCPA International Percussion Festival, and the review panel for exhibited works at the NIME (New Interfaces for Musical Expression) International Conference.

Heng LIU is also dedicated to composing percussion works. His solo work for Chinese traditional percussion, Wang Yue (Gazing at the Yue Mountains), won first prize in the "Chinese Traditional Percussion Work Competition" at the Central Conservatory of Music's Chinese Traditional Music Festival. His personal work concert project, "MADE IN CHINA - Works by a Native" - Heng LIU's Percussion Works Concert, received support from the 2024 National Art Fund and has toured at venues such as the NCPA, Xi'an Concert Hall, and Singapore China Cultural Centre. To date, Heng LIU has composed over 50 percussion works, including solo, ensemble, concerto pieces, and works combining percussion with electronic music. In 2020, he signed a contract with Edition Svitzer (Denmark), which publishes and distributes his works globally. His compositions are now frequently performed worldwide, including at events such as the Belgium Marimba Competition, Italian Percussion Festival, and New York's Carnegie Hall. Heng LIU has released the DVD album Percussion Dreamer - Heng LIU's Western Percussion Concert and co-released the percussion duo album Drum Masters with jazz drummer Yanchao LI. In recognition of his contributions to percussion composition and performance, he was awarded the "Outstanding Chinese Percussion Work Award" and "Outstanding Chinese All-Round Percussionist Award" at the 2019 New Era Drummer Awards Ceremony.

As a new-generation percussionist in contemporary Chinese percussion solo performance and modern percussion interpretation, Heng LIU integrates his versatile percussion thinking into his music composition and performance. His production, "One Hour Tour" - Improvisational and Interactive Multimedia Percussion Solo Concert, continues to tour across China, including venues such as the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Guangzhou Opera House, Xi'an Concert Hall, and Shijiazhuang Grand Theatre, and is deeply loved by audiences.

Heng LIU also devotes himself to percussion teaching at China's professional music academies, having given percussion masterclasses at major domestic music conservatories on multiple occasions. His courses cover a wide range, from classical percussion to pop percussion, and from global percussion to improvisational music. The breadth of his musical thinking makes his classes highly popular among teachers and students in the field. He also writes a column titled "Heng LIU Talks About Music" in Music Weekly to popularize percussion knowledge among music practitioners and enthusiasts.

Currently, leveraging his outstanding professional attainments in percussion, Heng LIU collaborates as an international artist with renowned brands including MEINL PERCUSSION, Marimba One, Remo, FAN MALLETS (timpani mallets), "Zheng" (handpans), and "Han Qi" (drumsticks).