Kate Liu’s Philippine Debut Presented by Veniccio

Last May 2 at the Ayala Museum, Veniccio introduced Philippine classical music enthusiasts to the unique pianism of Kate Liu. Liu had struck a chord with the classical music world over ten years ago during the 2015 Chopin Competition in Warsaw, so much so that, despite winning 3rd Prize, the Polish audience voted her the best pianist. 

Filipinos around Metro Manila finally had the chance to see what Warsaw and the world saw firsthand. Liu’s interpretation was wholly unique, with several audience members noting her patient approach to the music. With tickets being sold out, the event was a success. 

Liu understood mourning and death, evoking the sombre tintinnabulations of metaphoric graveyard bells with the repeating B-flats of the opening theme. Read more about the event here.

Much of the work bringing the event to life is owed to Veniccio founder Marco Balbin, who had been planning the event since last year, having been in contact with Liu’s manager since early 2025. Speaking on the event planning, Balbin said:

“There was definitely a mix of excitement and nervousness, but if I'm being honest, the nervousness took over more often than not. There were so many logistics in play. Things slowly started to ease once we finally fetched her from the airport. 

“Who wouldn’t be nervous? She's someone I’ve listened to time and time again. My younger self wouldn’t believe me if I said I’d one day be the one bringing her to Manila.”

Now concluding its second production (Churen Li’s concert last March 15 being its first), Veniccio has successfully brought two internationally-acclaimed concert pianists to the country. “Kate Liu’s recital is an important step for us,” Balbin stated. 

“It’s our first event with reserved seating and only our second production overall, with Churen Li’s concert being the first. Personally, both projects are about testing the waters and getting a feel of presenting concerts at this level. That includes logistics, rentals, accommodations, scheduling, and everything in between. 

“After Kate Liu, I hope this helps establish Veniccio as a credible presenter in the Philippines. From there, the goal is to collaborate with presenters abroad and position the Philippines as a viable stop for artists’ international tours next year, moving forward.”

So far, Veniccio has tested the music scene with smaller venues like Manila Pianos Inc. and Ayala Museum. But on discussing future events, Balbin mentioned:

“We are looking into different venues for our future plans. Some artists require proper concert halls, and  better venues will greatly improve the overall experience for our audience, which has always been important to us.”