Ming-Jui Liu, guitarist

Ming-Jui Liu, guitarist Taiwanese guitarist, educator, composer, and arranger based in San Diego, CA

劉明睿 Ming-Jui Liu Taiwanese guitarist, composer, and educator

“Ming’s appeal as a musician stems from a world-class technique coupled with the sensitivity and musicality of an artist who delves deeply into the style and interpretive aspects of music.”
- Jerry Willard, American guitarist

A Taiwan native, Ming-Jui is a highly acclaimed classical guitarist known for his exceptional performances an

d compositional talent. His musical journey has been adorned with numerous awards and recognitions from prestigious competitions in both Taiwan and the United States. As a soloist and chamber musician, Ming-Jui has graced stages around the globe, captivating audiences with his virtuosity and expressive interpretations. Some notable highlights include a solo recital at the I Seminário Internacional de Violão do IFCE in Brazil (2016) and a mesmerizing duo performance with Arvo Duo at the esteemed 25th Long Island Guitar Festival in the USA (2017). Ming-Jui's artistic contributions extend beyond performance, as evidenced by his role as a festival artist and judge at the 4th Qinling International Guitar Festival (2018). In 2023, Ming-Jui was invited to share his insights and expertise through a lecture titled "The Art of Transcribing Music" at the Résonance Guitar Music Festival in Taiwan. His compositions, including "The Magic Hour," "Passacaglia: A Song for the Ropewalker," and "Summer Nights of Formosa," have been published by the renowned Canadian publishing house Doberman-Yppan, solidifying his reputation as an internationally recognized composer. "Mirror of the Sunshine, op. 3" for violin and guitar earned him the prestigious 3rd Place in The American Prize in Composition—Instrumental Chamber Music. In 2022, he was commissioned by the Guitar Foundation of America to compose "The Rainy Ketagalan Harbor," further showcasing his compositional prowess and creative versatility. Ming-Jui holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Classical Guitar Performance from Stony Brook University, where he studied under the guidance of esteemed mentors such as Kevin Gallagher, Jerry Willard, and João Luiz Rezende Lopes. Additionally, Ming-Jui has received training in harmony, composition, and arrangement from acclaimed instructors like Wen-Chuan Hu and João Luiz Rezende Lopes. A dedicated educator, Ming-Jui is committed to sharing his passion for music with students of all levels. He has served as a substitute teacher at institutions such as Purchase College and Stony Brook University, as well as an undergraduate chamber music coach at Stony Brook University. From Fall 2020 to Summer 2022, Ming-Jui held the position of Adjunct Associate Professor at the Conservatory of Music at Huanggang Normal University. Listeners can experience Ming-Jui's artistry firsthand through his album "Nostalgia: Original Compositions & Arrangements I," available on major streaming platforms including Apple iTunes, Amazon Music, and Spotify. With his unparalleled talent and dedication to musical excellence, Ming-Jui continues to inspire audiences and musicians alike on a global scale.

Shang Hou plays Sombras del Barroco (2025):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNZ4-NtJUM8music:https://productionsdoz.com/e...
30/04/2026

Shang Hou plays Sombras del Barroco (2025):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNZ4-NtJUM8

music:
https://productionsdoz.com/en/catalogue/sheet-music-for-guitar/solo-guitar/solo-guitar/liu-ming-jui/arranger/doberman-yppan/advanced/solo-guitar-liu-ming-jui-do-1631-10122

Sombras del Barroco is a suite of four miniature movements, each drawing from Baroque musical materials and reframed through a contemporary lens. Rather than presenting a historical imitation, the suite reflects a modern composer’s attempt to revisit—through today’s sensibilities—the expressive spirit of music written more than three centuries ago.

The theme of the fourth movement is derived from Fernando Sor’s Study in E Minor, Op. 35, No. 18. Although the study dates from the Classical period, its opening gesture echoes the Gavotte from Johann Pachelbel’s Suite in E Minor, P. 435, and Sor incorporates characteristic Baroque harmonic progressions throughout. In this way, Sor’s study may itself be understood as a retrospective dialogue with the Baroque style—an affinity that aligns naturally with the central idea of Sombras del Barroco.

In the fourth variation of this movement, I further draw on the stylistic language of Sor’s Study in B Minor, Op. 35, No. 22, weaving elements of its character into a variation of the original study. In Japan, this study is widely known as “Moonlight,” a popular title that subsequently became widespread across Asia. Inspired by this association, I titled the variation La luz de luna de Anhelo, reflecting its dance-like motion and its expressive, moonlit atmosphere.

This work is dedicated to Taiwanese guitarist and guitar collector Shang-Yun Hou, in celebration of the 100th successful monthly gathering of the Hsinchu Guitar Friends, the organization he founded.

Liu: Sombras del Barroco (2025) 劉明睿:巴洛克之影

I’m honored to be joining this event as a jury member, and I hope to see many of you in Taiwan this summer!The 9th Taiwa...
02/04/2026

I’m honored to be joining this event as a jury member, and I hope to see many of you in Taiwan this summer!

The 9th Taiwan International Guitar Festival & Competition (TIGFC)
July 11–16, 2026
For the details, please see the following link:
https://www.tigf-tw.org/p.html?l=1&w=t&id=4&m=4

I'm thrilled that Dr. Fabricio Mattos and Yi-Hsuan Chen will be premiering my flute and guitar duo piece: Song and Dance...
27/03/2026

I'm thrilled that Dr. Fabricio Mattos and Yi-Hsuan Chen will be premiering my flute and guitar duo piece: Song and Dance No. 1, in Taipei on April 15!

The program features an exciting mix of Taiwanese and Brazilian music, including works by my friend Chun-Da Huang (黃俊達), Villa-Lobos, Habib, and of course, choros!

Information:

Journeys - Music from Brazil & Taiwan

Time: 04/15/2026 19:30 (GMT+8)

Location:
Concert Hall, Department of Music, University of Taipei
No. 1, Aiguo W. Rd., Taipei City, Taiwan

Free Admission

I’m currently finishing a new work for flute and guitar duo. The piece begins with a song-like Na-gá-sih–style (那卡西) slo...
14/03/2026

I’m currently finishing a new work for flute and guitar duo. The piece begins with a song-like Na-gá-sih–style (那卡西) slow movement and flows into a lively Choro. I’m really excited for its premiere by Yi-Hsuan Chen and Fabricio Mattos on April 15!

Duo Recital – February 27 | AfternoonJoin us for an afternoon of music featuring works by Vivaldi, Villa-Lobos, Piazzoll...
18/02/2026

Duo Recital – February 27 | Afternoon

Join us for an afternoon of music featuring works by Vivaldi, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, and The Maverick by Hand.

Free admission.
We look forward to seeing you there!

The Coronado Public Library will host flute and guitar ensemble Duo Festudgioso for a chamber music concert on Friday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. In a program exploring music from the Baroque to the contemporary era, the duo will showcase Antonio Vivaldi’s “Sonata in F major,” selections from Heitor Vi...

There’s something special about seeing your work in physical form.Grateful to Doberman-Yppan for making these so beautif...
31/01/2026

There’s something special about seeing your work in physical form.
Grateful to Doberman-Yppan for making these so beautiful.

26/01/2026

R.I.P.
Kazuhito Yamash*ta (1961–2026)

After Julian Bream passed away in August 2020, it felt like part of my youth went with him. Many of the great musicians I had looked up to all my life were people I only knew through recordings. I never met them. After that, recordings and videos were the only place to meet them.

I knew the master was still there, in the music, almost as if he were still alive. Still, the loss stayed with me.

That same feeling came back today.

What Yamash*ta left us was not just technique, or extreme arrangements, or big physical gestures on stage. He showed us something simpler and harder at the same time.

Music should not be trapped inside a small wooden box.
If we do not push beyond limits and use our imagination, music cannot really reach people.

Farewell, Maestro.

I’m excited to share that my latest classical guitar solo work, Sombras del Barroco, has just been published by the reno...
19/01/2026

I’m excited to share that my latest classical guitar solo work, Sombras del Barroco, has just been published by the renowned Canadian publisher Doberman-Yppan.

Sombras del Barroco is a suite of four miniature movements, each inspired by Baroque musical ideas but reimagined through a contemporary lens. Rather than attempting a historical imitation, the suite represents a modern composer’s reflection on the expressive spirit of music written over three centuries ago.

The theme of the fourth movement is based on Fernando Sor’s Study in E Minor, Op. 35, No. 18. Although this study originates from the Classical period, its opening gesture echoes the Gavotte from Johann Pachelbel’s Suite in E Minor, P. 435, and Sor incorporates characteristic Baroque harmonic progressions throughout. In this sense, Sor’s study itself can be seen as a retrospective dialogue with the Baroque style—perfectly aligning with the central concept of Sombras del Barroco.

In the fourth variation of this movement, I further explore Sor’s stylistic language, drawing on his Study in B Minor, Op. 35, No. 22. This variation weaves elements of that study into the original theme. In Japan, this study is popularly known as “Moonlight,” a title that has since spread throughout Asia. Inspired by this association, I named the variation La luz de luna de Anhelo, reflecting its dance-like motion and its expressive, moonlit character.

I hope you enjoy it! The e-score is available at a special 20% off today!

Bienvenue sur le site de Doberman – votre destination incontournable pour la musique classique de qualité.

Dear friends,I’m happy to share that my arrangement of Béla Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56/68, for violin and gui...
18/01/2026

Dear friends,

I’m happy to share that my arrangement of Béla Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56/68, for violin and guitar duo, is now available for download on IMSLP:
https://imslp.org/wiki/Special:ReverseLookup/1013042

This version works exceptionally well in performance and includes clearly prepared individual parts for both instruments. I hope you’ll enjoy exploring this beautiful and timeless music together.

If you enjoy my arrangement, you’ll find information in the score on how to support my work. I also welcome commissions for arrangements or original compositions.

Thank you, and happy music-making!

Ming-Jui Liu, D.M.A.
https://www.facebook.com/mingjuiliuguitarist

 1. Joc cu bata. Allegro moderato * #402144 - 2.71MB - 1:11 -  0.0/10 2 4 6 8 10 (-) - !N/!N/!N - 12376×⇩ - MP3 - Papalin

Happy 2026, my friends!(In case you missed the Christmas ball)
01/01/2026

Happy 2026, my friends!
(In case you missed the Christmas ball)

Address

Wufeng District

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