Katie Liu

Katie Liu, age 18, is a violinist and student at Columbia University, where she currently serves as Assistant Principal Second Violinist in the Columbia University Orchestra. A devoted musician for over thirteen years, she studied under Hae-Jin Kim, whose mentorship shaped her early artistic foundation.

A National YoungArts Winner in Classical Music and a two-year member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), Katie has performed on some of the nation’s most prestigious stages under renowned conductors, serving as Principal Second Violinist. She has also attended the Heifetz International Music Institute, where she furthered her artistry through intensive study and chamber music collaboration.

As an active soloist, Katie has appeared with members of the Oregon Symphony as a two-time winner of the MetroArts Young Artists Debut! Competition (2021 and 2023) and has soloed with the Portland Youth Philharmonic as the winner of the 2022 PYP Concerto Competition. She was also the first-place winner of the MTNA Senior String Performance Competition in Oregon and named alternate winner at the Northwest Division level. In addition, she won first place in the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Competition in 2022.

Katie was a dedicated member of the Portland Youth Philharmonic Organization for six years, serving as Co-Concertmaster from age 14 to 18 and as Co-Concertmaster of the PYP Camerata Chamber Orchestra. She was selected as Concertmaster of the 2022 All-Northwest Orchestra and Concertmaster Assistant of the 2021 All-State Orchestra. She also attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute on a merit scholarship, where she served as Co-Concertmaster of the Young Artists Orchestra.