about
Sound artist, percussionist, improvisor, and explorer of found objects, Germaine Liu (Hong Kong born, Cantonese-Chinese-Canadian) works and plays in multi-modalities. Her work indulges in the permeability between touch/movement/sound, and their relationship to topography and circumstance. Named a Toronto artist to watch by Now Magazine in 2018 and nominated for the 2025 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize, her interest has been dedicated to creating multi-modal scenarios as sites for meaningful gatherings that investigate the dimensions of generosity. With desires to create collaborative joyful spaces, Germaine aims to celebrate interdependent collectivism in her work.
She has designed, created, produced, and performed large scale projects and installations like ‘And With’ (at The Bentway Conservatory), ‘星星/Sing Sing’ (Nuit Blanche and Lumen Festival), and ‘Still Life’ + ‘We Made This With Love’ (Music Gallery). She has composed for AIMToronto Orchestra, Thin Edge New Music Collective, Charm of Finches, junctQín keyboard collective, and her own group – Imaginary Percussion Ensemble. As a musician, she has played with AIMToronto Orchestra (17-member ensemble investigating the relationship of composition and improvised music), Picastro (slowcore rock music band led by Liz Hysen), c_RL (improvising music group with Allison Cameron, Germaine Liu and Nicole Rampersaud), the late Ken Alcroft’s Threads Quintet, ‘The Cave’ (Soulpepper Theatre), ‘Raccoon Solstice’ (Animacy Theatre, Theatre Direct, Common Boots Theatre), ‘What Brings You In’ (Leslie Ting Productions), and dance works like ‘multiform(s)’ (Amanda Acorn), and ‘Solo (not solo) Water Study’ (Meryem Alaoui). Germaine has taught her artistic practice in workshops for secondary school dance students, at Mercer Union for community members, University drama students, and ArtsEverywhere attendees (Musagetes Foundation).
She has designed, created, produced, and performed large scale projects and installations like ‘And With’ (at The Bentway Conservatory), ‘星星/Sing Sing’ (Nuit Blanche and Lumen Festival), and ‘Still Life’ + ‘We Made This With Love’ (Music Gallery). She has composed for AIMToronto Orchestra, Thin Edge New Music Collective, Charm of Finches, junctQín keyboard collective, and her own group – Imaginary Percussion Ensemble. As a musician, she has played with AIMToronto Orchestra (17-member ensemble investigating the relationship of composition and improvised music), Picastro (slowcore rock music band led by Liz Hysen), c_RL (improvising music group with Allison Cameron, Germaine Liu and Nicole Rampersaud), the late Ken Alcroft’s Threads Quintet, ‘The Cave’ (Soulpepper Theatre), ‘Raccoon Solstice’ (Animacy Theatre, Theatre Direct, Common Boots Theatre), ‘What Brings You In’ (Leslie Ting Productions), and dance works like ‘multiform(s)’ (Amanda Acorn), and ‘Solo (not solo) Water Study’ (Meryem Alaoui). Germaine has taught her artistic practice in workshops for secondary school dance students, at Mercer Union for community members, University drama students, and ArtsEverywhere attendees (Musagetes Foundation).
"exemplifying what it means to play, and to do so with bliss."
Deanna Radford, Musicworks Magazine
"No matter what she’s doing, her works are contemplative and euphoric, rattling around your consciousness long after she finishes playing."
Laura Stanley, Now Magazine
"She approaches an object almost child-like, with a sincere and endless fascination for the unusual sounds she finds there. But the results of her explorations also exhibit thoughtfulness and a deep, mature relationship with sound."
Alexa Woloshyn, Kazoo!
Press:
Toronto musicians to watch in 2018, Laura Stanley: nowtoronto.com/music/toronto-musicians-to-watch-in-2018-composer-edition/
Why Germaine Liu Rules, Alexa Woloshyn kazookazoo.ca/why-germaine-liu-rules/
The Friendly Exchanges of Germaine Liu, Mary Dickie: musicworks.ca/featured-article/sound-bite/friendly-exchanges-germaine-liu
X Avant Night One, Tom Beedham: exclaim.ca/music/article/x_avant_night_one
c_RL ~ Friends album review, Ken Waxman musicworks.ca/reviews/recordings/crl-friends
5 Questions to Understory (Nicole Rampersaud, Parmella Attariwala, Germaine Liu): icareifyoulisten.com/2021/08/5-questions-to-understory
Deanna Radford, Musicworks Magazine
"No matter what she’s doing, her works are contemplative and euphoric, rattling around your consciousness long after she finishes playing."
Laura Stanley, Now Magazine
"She approaches an object almost child-like, with a sincere and endless fascination for the unusual sounds she finds there. But the results of her explorations also exhibit thoughtfulness and a deep, mature relationship with sound."
Alexa Woloshyn, Kazoo!
Press:
Toronto musicians to watch in 2018, Laura Stanley: nowtoronto.com/music/toronto-musicians-to-watch-in-2018-composer-edition/
Why Germaine Liu Rules, Alexa Woloshyn kazookazoo.ca/why-germaine-liu-rules/
The Friendly Exchanges of Germaine Liu, Mary Dickie: musicworks.ca/featured-article/sound-bite/friendly-exchanges-germaine-liu
X Avant Night One, Tom Beedham: exclaim.ca/music/article/x_avant_night_one
c_RL ~ Friends album review, Ken Waxman musicworks.ca/reviews/recordings/crl-friends
5 Questions to Understory (Nicole Rampersaud, Parmella Attariwala, Germaine Liu): icareifyoulisten.com/2021/08/5-questions-to-understory
photo credit: Vanessa Tignanelli