About
KuanFen Liu has built a chamber orchestra and choral organization — from scratch. Through nearly twenty years of her leadership, they’ve thrived and grown. She conducts. She’s an Artistic Director. She’s a superb networker, creating meaningful projects for her community. She inspires teams of musicians and community members to get involved, stay involved, and support her mission of bringing classical music to a broad range of audiences. From this foundation she has offered herself to the greater world via workshops, guest conducting, and other special projects, domestically and internationally.
She’s dynamic, innovative, prepared, proactive and knowledgeable, but above all effective, steadfast and true of heart, with a special talent for bringing out the best in all.
What was her path?
And what’s coming…….
Early Years
KuanFen chose a life in music early on. In her native Taiwan, music studies were intertwined with her basic education. She began piano lessons at the age of 6, violin and voice at 12. Entered music boarding school in 7th grade, continuing through high school and college — total immersion with the full support of her loving family.
University
She excelled in the best music conservatories. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance from Tunghai University in Taiwan; a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester; and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral and Sacred Music from Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. At USC, she studied choral conducting with William Dehning, and served as Assistant Conductor of the prestigious USC Chamber Choir. At Eastman, she studied choral conducting with William Weinert, and orchestral conducting with Mark Gibson and David Effron.
Continual Enrichment
KuanFen has participated in some of the finest music ensembles and workshops in the country including masterclasses with Robert Shaw, Charles Dutoit, Helmuth Rilling, Joseph Flummerfelt, James Jordan and Dale Warland. She has toured with the USC Chamber Choir and sung in the Robert Shaw Carnegie Hall Workshop Chorus. She worked under world-renowned German conductor Maestro Helmuth Rilling in the prestigious Oregon Bach Festival, where she rehearsed and conducted the festival chorus and orchestra.
First United Methodist Church
While completing her doctorate, KuanFen became Music Director of the Chancel Choir of First Methodist Church in Ventura, California — an auspicious match! The choir included many of the most distinguished musicians in its area who under KuanFen’s direction supported numerous projects offered to the community across a span of sixteen years, including the gestation of Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra.
Chamber Orchestra and Choral Groups
Perceiving a need, KuanFen became the essential collaborator in the creation of two music non-profits: Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra and Channel Islands Choral Association, the latter of which spawned the CSU Channel Islands University Chorus, and the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus. As Artistic Director and Conductor, she leads musicians — instrumentalists and singers — in concerts and community events. Learn more about these organizations on the CHICO and CICA websites.
Springboard!
From this foundation, KuanFen has branched out, offering herself to the larger world, domestically and internationally, through guest conducting; community events; workshops; clinics; university teaching; outreach to elementary schools; sacred music for special holy days; and more, as she continues to weave classical music into new communities. Read more in Special Projects.
