LIU Sola & Friends Ensemble

In 1997, with the help of celebrated New York artist, director, and playwright Sister Joanna Chen, Liu Sola founded the Sola & Friends band, collaborating with top jazz musicians such as Amina C. Myers, Fernando Saunders, and Pheeroan aKlaff. In 1999, she went back to China with her musicians for Beijing Jazz Festival, a live recording of this groundbreaking concert, [Sola & Friends], was released in 2000.

In September 2000, she returned to China again and founded the New Folk Big Band, the first ever Chinese folk/jazz fusion big band. The debut concert was a revelation to the Chinese and international audience, as it represented the first successful attempt to create a new Chinese improvisatory music. In 2003, with support from HKW Germany, she founded the Liu Sola & Friends ensemble, made up mainly of top Chinese instrumental soloists, to perform her compositions.

Over the last few years, Liu Sola & Friends ensemble has become a highlight group for many major festivals around the world. The ensemble also has performed Liu Sola's compositions for modern dance, film soundtracks, albums and operas such as Liu Sola’s chamber opera [Fantasy of the Red Queen], together with Ensemble Modern.

In 2012, with new members joining in, such as guitarist Liu Yijun (aka. Lao Wu of Tang Dynasty), the ensemble appeared in Beijing for a major outdoor public event. The virtuoso performances and the unique music style attracted many young Chinese people.

Over the last 10 years, Liu Sola taught her classically trained ensemble musicians to do improvisation. In early 2013, she started a pioneering program, the Liu Sola & Friends Ensemble Film Soundtrack Workshop. Working together with independent Chinese film directors, the innovative program aims to help musicians develop the ability to improvise more creatively on film soundtracks.