Xiaodan Liu, RPT

Xiaodan grew up in Shanghai, China where her parents were musicians and teachers. She graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music as a double major in violin and violin making. For four years following graduation, Xiaodan was a full-time violinist in the Beijing Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra.

In 1990, Xiaodan came to Boston to pursue a Masters at Boston University's College of Fine Arts, studying with Yuri Mazurkevich. In the mid 90's, Xiaodan first worked for Verne Q Powell Flutes, then at Brannen Brothers Flutemakers, making and inspecting in the stringing department what are widely considered the finest professional flutes in the world. There she met her future husband who was also a flutemaker.

For some reason, all this time Xiaodan had been facinated with pianos. She happened on a display booth for North Bennet Street School in a street fair in Brookline one day and that September found herself embarking on their prestigious two-year piano technology program. While at school, she was selected for internship positions at North Bennet Street School's piano shop and at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. For the last three summers, Xiaodan has been Head Technician at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, responsible for managing and training 5-8 intern piano technicians, for tuning and keeping in good repair practice, master class, and concert pianos, and for coordinating administration and artists to facilitate smooth operation of the Institute. She has also been an invited guest lecturer.

Since 2007, Xiaodan has split her time between caring for pianos at BU, her own business, and doing tuning and repair work for Concord Piano. She is an RPT (Registered Piano Technician) with the Piano Technicians Guild.