Taiwanese conductor Brian Liao, currently based in Paris, is emerging as a dynamic presence on the international scene. He was awarded First Prize at the Lliria City of Music International Conducting Competition (Spain) and Third Prize and Orchestra Prize at the Lovro von Matačić International Conducting Competition (Croatia). In April 2025, he received the Silver Medal at the 5th Giancarlo Facchinetti Conducting Competition in Brescia (Italy), and just one month later, he was awarded Third Prize at the 4th Romania Orchestras’ Conducting Competition. He has also been selected for the 2nd Rachmaninoff International Conducting Competition (Russia) and is a finalist in the 59th Besançon International Conducting Competition (France).
In 2020, Liao was chosen from over a hundred candidates to become Assistant Conductor of the Orchestre National d’Île-de-France in Paris.
In 2023, he led the Counterpoint Ensemble in a complete performance of Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 4 to 8 during a 24-hour marathon at Weiwuying, Kaohsiung. Following the success of this performance, he was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the ensemble. That same year, he conducted the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra International Youth Orchestra on tour in Taiwan and Thailand, later being named its Artistic Director, responsible for planning and leading future festival programs.
He has conducted orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Spanish RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, South Denmark Philharmonic, Lucerne Festival Strings, Croatia Radio Symphony Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic, Craiova “Oltenia” Philharmonic, Oradea Philharmonic, Arad Philharmonic, Szolnok Symphony Orchestra, Kodály Philharmonia Debrecen, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Orquesta Filarmónica de España, Orchestra della Magna Grecia, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, Orquesta de Bahia Blanca (Argentina), National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and Taipei Symphony Orchestra.
He has served as assistant to conductors including Klaus Mäkelä (Orchestre de Paris), Susanna Mälkki (Helsinki Philharmonic), Vasily Sinaisky and Case Scaglione (Ondif), and collaborated closely with Yoon Kuk Lee at the St. Gellert Festival in Hungary. In 2023, he was selected as one of six finalists for the London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducting Fellowship, and took part in a masterclass with the Seoul Philharmonic, where he conducted The Rite of Spring.
His other distinctions include 2nd Prize at the Only Stage International Conducting Competition (UK, 2022), 3rd Prize at the BMI International Conducting Competition (Romania, 2019), and the Orchestra Prize at the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestral Conducting Competition (2017).
Brian holds a Master’s degree in conducting from the University Mozarteum Salzburg, where he studied under Bruno Weil and Alexander Drcar, supported by a full scholarship from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. He has participated in numerous conducting masterclasses with renowned teachers such as Bernard Haitink, Jorma Panula, Alan Gilbert, Karel Mark Chichon, and Vladimir Fedoseyev. He was also a fellow of the Taiwan Ministry of Culture International Talent Program, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO), and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO).
He currently resides in Paris with his wife, Hsin-Yu Shih, a tenured violinist of the Orchestre de Paris.
Brian Liao/廖元宏 