Valerie Liu is an American contemporary classical composer and a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Liu has received Honorable Mentions from both The American Prize and the IAWM New Music Competition. Notably, the composition "Remembrance" was awarded First Place (California Division) and a Special Mention at the Maurice Ravel International Composition Competition. Professional collaborations include engagements with celebrated soloists and ensembles, such as Ensemble for These Times, Sonic Apricity, vocalist Maya Kherani, clarinetist Kyle Beard, flutist Alexandra Urfer, pianist Emily Tian, and the Brazilian National Theatre Claudio Santoro Symphony Orchestra.

Liu’s compositions are frequently compelled by the immediate need to construct a structural musical response to profound paintings and narratives. Prior commissions include "Mystic Trio" for Ensemble for These Times, which utilized serial techniques inspired by Arnold Schoenberg. Mirroring the vivid, distorted figures and generous brushstrokes of Expressionist visual art, the music employs heavy dissonance, fragmentation, and rapid textural changes to evoke intense psychological landscapes. Similarly, "Cassandra Effect" was created as a structural reflection on power dynamics and silencing, translating the psychological weight of Cassandra's gift and curse into a contemporary musical framework.

Explore Liu's classical works

"Are we blending tech and nature, or is tech slowly replacing reality with a massive reflection?"
Stay tuned for my new piece.

While technology scales to mirror our physical environments, the future remains ours to design. Recently, Liu was selected as an artistic representative for the exclusive Future Tables cohort hosted at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This civic laboratory convergence brought together 10 professionals from the arts and culture sector alongside 10 professionals from the technology sector to co-author a path forward. The resulting consensus defined a vital blueprint: letting go of division, protecting humanity, and prioritizing community. This profound experience continues to anchor Liu's creative vision today.

Original scores tailored for film, television, and animation. Media tracks will be available to stream shortly.