Vinay Parameswaran, conductor
Internationally recognized for his energetic presence, imaginative programming, and compelling musicianship, Vinay Parameswaran is one of today’s most exciting and versatile young conductors.
Recent highlights include debuts with the Charlotte Symphony and return engagements with the Nashville Symphony and Rochester Philharmonic, as well as education concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He previously spent five seasons with The Cleveland Orchestra, where he served as Assistant Conductor and later Associate Conductor, leading performances at Severance Hall, Blossom Music Festival, and on tour. As Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, he led an acclaimed European tour, including a performance at Vienna’s Musikverein.
Earlier, Parameswaran was Associate Conductor of the Nashville Symphony, leading more than 150 performances. He has also appeared with the Pittsburgh, Detroit, and National Symphony Orchestras, among others.
Equally active in opera and recording, he has conducted The Magic Flute and The Elixir of Love, and assisted on major productions in Cleveland. A Conducting Fellow at Tanglewood, he is a recipient of a Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award.
Parameswaran holds degrees from Brown University and the Curtis Institute of Music.
Sophia Liu, piano
At just 17, Canadian pianist Sophia Liu is rapidly emerging as one of the most compelling artists of her generation. Praised for her “extremely clear, delicate, refined and almost supernaturally fluid” touch (Le Monde) and “phenomenal virtuosity” (Bachtrack), she continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Highlights of the 2025/26 season include her debut with the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo and Osaka, performing Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concerto No. 2 under Eva Ollikainen. She also appears in recital at leading venues including the Konzerthaus Berlin, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and the Opéra National de Lyon, as well as major festivals such as La Roque d’Anthéron, La Folle Journée, and Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier.
As a soloist, Liu performs with the Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Hawaii Symphony, and Sinfonia Varsovia. Recent highlights include appearances with The Cleveland Orchestra and orchestras across France.
Born in Shanghai and raised in Japan before moving to Montreal, she studies with Dang Thai Son. A prizewinner at major international competitions, she has earned top honours at the Ettlingen and Cooper competitions.
Her debut album, released in 2025, features works by Liszt and Chopin.
