Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Liu.
Lisa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My parents are Chinese immigrants who proudly share their journey to the states. My father emigrated on an over 30 day trip aboard a cargo ship. He earned a doctorate in political science at Claremont Colleges while learning English and supporting my mother, who had to take a two weeks bus trip from California to New York City to audition for Juilliard. She had a prolific career as an opera singer, and it was their dream to raise a daughter that would follow in her musical footsteps.
I started on the piano at three and added violin lessons at eight. In high school, I gave piano and violin recitals within a month at Juilliard Pre-College but was always in love with the violin. Throughout my 20’s, living the unglamorous life of a struggling artist, I was constantly searching for what would fulfill me. I taught violin and piano to hundreds of students in the South Bronx and played with a range of diverse bands and ensembles, trying to find my voice.
Needing a major life shift, accompanied by the urge to be closer to my parents, I moved to Los Angeles in my 30’s. I was fortunate to jump into the Hollywood scoring scene and contributed to over 200 scores for TV shows and films, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker; Toy Story 4, A Quiet Place, and A Star is Born. Then last year, unhappy in a toxic work environment, I walked away and started rebuilding. Along the way, a colleague and I developed a patent-pending cannabis product that has been used to provide comfort to friends suffering from an array of debilitating illnesses.
When the pandemic hit, musicians were already struggling to survive in a community that had been losing work to technology, unbeatable competition in countries abroad that underpay their players, and a toxic internal political structure. Composer and Academy Governor Laura Karpman called me the minute her USC film scoring session was canceled for her 20 students and wanted an immediate solution for composers and most importantly, for the musicians in our community. Within two weeks, we had infrastructure. With world-renowned conductor Marin Alsop and Hollywood veteran engineer Brad Haehnel, and around 60 of the most accomplished orchestral musicians from top tier orchestras around the world, we’ve created the Unison Orchestra. We are 4 Juilliard grads connecting the best players on the planet via remote recording.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Along the way, we’ve been met with people still holding onto old mindsets and belief systems that do not serve the current conditions of our community. It’s understandable that musicians are afraid and uncertain, and that can cause them to be critical and competitive. We are a collective searching for like-minded, pro-active musicians eager to learn and contribute. We’ve had to move thru folks who just don’t share our values.
Please tell us about Unison Orchestra.
The Unison Orchestra is a collective of the best orchestral and session musicians from around the globe, led by 4 Juilliard alum- composers Laura Karpman and Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, conductor Marin Alsop, violinist Lisa Liu, all connected via remote recording.
We are proud to be musicians serving other musicians. What sets us apart is the quality of our production (thanks to brilliant engineer Brad Haehnel), the level of musicianship, and the powerful and moving sense of community we have created.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I wake up each day, grateful and excited to be met with challenges that propel me to grow and learn. I play full out every single moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.unisonorchestra.com
- Phone: 3104671061
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @unisonorchestralive
- Facebook: @unisonorchestralive
- Twitter: @unisonorchestralive
Image Credit:
Mitch Henson
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