Seattle, Washington | Doctor of Musical Arts Student, University of Washington
Xinyi Liu is an accomplished flutist based in the Seattle area, currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Washington under the guidance of Professor Donna Shin. She also serves as a teaching assistant for the chamber music lab, an online history class, and as a flute instructor at the university.
Xinyi began her musical journey in 2007 at the Xiamen School of Music. With the school orchestra, she performed in Australia, Taiwan, and across China. In 2019, she was admitted to the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she studied with Professor Zhaorong Chen. During her undergraduate studies, she served as the principal flutist and piccolo player with the China Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and Wind Ensemble; won First Prize in several performance competitions; participated in more than twenty masterclasses with distinguished flutists; and performed at major venues such as the National Center for the Performing Arts, Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Shanxi Grand Theatre, and the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. Upon graduation, she was recognized as an Outstanding Graduate of Beijing.
In 2023, Xinyi received a scholarship to attend the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Professor Linda Chesis. As principal flutist and piccolo player, she performed with the MSM Symphony Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra at venues such as Aaron Davis Hall, Neidorff-Karpati Hall, and Greenfield Hall. She also received chamber music coaching from distinguished faculty members, including saxophonist Paul Cohen, hornist David Jolley, and violinist Chloe Kiffer.
In 2025, she took the DMA entrance auditions at seven universities and received unanimous recognition, earning multiple offers, generous scholarships, and three teaching assistant positions.
Xinyi has studied with and received guidance from over thirty world-renowned flutists and pedagogues, including Carol Wincenc, Robert Langevin, Demarre McGill, Ransom Wilson, Paul Edmund-Davies, Bonita Boyd, and Nicola Mazzanti.
Beyond her musical pursuits, she enjoys cooking, sewing, painting, photography, and traveling, always embracing creativity and new experiences in every form.