Born in Fuzhou, China, Canadian pianist Bo Xuan (Jerry) Liao resides in Calgary, Alberta, where he is an active soloist and collaborative pianist. Jerry is in his third year of a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Calgary studying with Dr. Jani Parsons and was recently awarded the Carr Prize and scholarship, recognizing outstanding piano students. He began taking piano lessons at the age of 8, and his teachers over the years have included Margaret Thompson, Dora Chan, and Sunny Chan.
Most recently, Jerry was invited to participate on full scholarship in the 2024 Gathering of The Stars organized by the Canadian Music Competition as an outstanding candidate in the Calgary Pathways Festival. He has performed at summer festivals such as Vancouver Piano Sessions and has had the opportunity to work with notable musicians including Marilyn Engle, Steven Spooner, Henry Kramer, Yakov Kasman, and Sasha Starcevich.
Jerry is a medalist of the IPPA Conero International Piano Festival, Canada Division, and competed in the RBC Concerto Competition at the University of Calgary and the Rotary C3 Concerto Competition. In 2023, Jerry had the privilege of collaborating with acclaimed Chinese Canadian composer Vincent Ho, culminating in the world premiere performance of The Galloping Horse from The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2. He was invited to perform as a soloist at the 2024 Honens “Piano Day” Festival and has given recital performances in the Calgary Pathways Festival in 2023 and 2024.
In addition to his work as piano soloist, Jerry is a passionate chamber musician and collaborator, recently performing works by Rachmaninoff and Brahms with duo partner Riley Ngo. He has worked with multiple vocalists to present works of Handel and Schubert. Jerry has an avid interest in the field of pedagogy and is a dynamic teacher of piano and music theory.