Stillness in Sound: A Winter Chamber Recital - Ming-Jui Liu & Friends

Stillness in Sound: A Winter Chamber Recital invites listeners into a San Diego afternoon where music breathes in quiet light and warmth.
In the intimate setting of the La Jolla/Riford Library on Saturday, December 13, 2025, Ming-Jui Liu and friends weave a tapestry of sound that drifts between centuries—from the serene devotion of Bach/Gounod and the tender lyricism of Schubert, to the wistful modern voices of Piazzolla, Sakamoto, and Liu himself.
San Diego–based guitarist and composer Ming-Jui Liu joins renowned oboist Virginia Chang Chien, whose artistry bridges cultures and traditions, in a dialogue of grace and resonance.
Together, they summon moments of stillness that shimmer like winter air—fragile, yet full of life.
This recital is an invitation to pause, to listen, and to find within each note the quiet heartbeat of the season.
Meet the Artists
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a San Diego-based guitarist and composer, is recognized for his award-winning performances and compositions worldwide. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed at prestigious events such as the 25th Long Island Guitar Festival (2017) and the 4th Qinling International Guitar Festival (2018). He also served as a judge at the Taiwan Guitar Competition in both 2023 and 2025. In 2023, he presented the lecture "The Art of Transcribing Music" at the Résonance Guitar Music Festival in Taiwan.
An artist with Les Productions d'OZ and Composer-in-Residence of the Taipei Guitar Ensemble, Ming-Jui’s composition Mirror of the Sunshine, op. 3 earned 3rd Place in The American Prize in Composition. In 2022, he was commissioned by the Guitar Foundation of America for The Rainy Ketagalan Harbor, a duo piece inspired by his cultural heritage. Ming-Jui's latest work, Fantasy 1962: Salix kusanoi in Ueno Park, has been selected as the set piece for the final round of the 2025 Taiwan Guitar Competition.
A Doctor of Musical Arts graduate from Stony Brook University, Ming-Jui held faculty positions at Huanggang Normal University (2020–2022) and Shaoguan University (2022–2024). His album Nostalgia: Original Compositions & Arrangements I is available on major streaming platforms.
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is a versatile oboist known for her work as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. She has performed at prominent venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the United Nations, and the U.S. Capitol. A former music resident at the Banff Centre and guest artist at Brazil’s Eleazar de Carvalho Festival, she was later commissioned by the New York Composers Circle to premiere contemporary works after her Carnegie Hall debut.

Her solo performances have been praised for their “lyrical and thoughtful flow” by The Glass and Soundwordsight. She has appeared as a concerto soloist in works by Bach, Barber, Marcello, Rietz, Vaughan Williams, and Goossens. Her recording projects include the EP Contemporary Solo Work for Oboe and her debut album Oboist: Virginia Chang Chien, released by MEII Enterprises and available on major platforms.

As Artistic Director, she led the “Phantasy Trio” on a 2023–24 Taiwan tour and was featured as a concert artist at Klavierhaus in New York City—the first oboist to present a trio program for oboe, viola, and piano there. Her recent collaborations include performances with Olga Kern, Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Inva Mula, and Ryo Goto.

She has performed with orchestras such as the United Nations Symphony, La Jolla Symphony, and Ureuk Symphony, and appeared at international festivals in Canada, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and the U.S. Virginia holds a master’s degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music and studied with Humbert Lucarelli, Gordon Hunt, and others.

About the Reserved Donation Tickets:
Your kind support helps us continue our musical journey. With this donation ticket, you’ll enjoy a reserved seat for the recital while directly supporting the artists who make this performance possible.

All contributions will help us present future concerts, commission new works, and share live music with the La Jolla community.

We’re deeply grateful for your generosity and for joining us in creating moments of stillness and beauty through sound.

General admission remains free. This ticket simply offers a reserved seat for those who wish to contribute and support the musicians.

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Host or Publisher Ming-Jui Liu; Virginia Chang Chien