Key to Change celebrates the appointment of Geoffrey Liu as its fifth Composer in Residence, continuing a distinguished tradition of bringing accomplished composers into direct collaboration with the organization’s young musicians.
Liu, who has served as a music instructor at Key to Change since 2020, follows a distinguished roster of previous Composers in Residence: Caleb Vaughn-Jones, Patrice Rushen, Curtis Stewart, and Johnaye Kendrick. Sponsored by Classical KING, the Composer in Residence program reflects Key to Change’s commitment to ensuring that students experience new music not only as performers, but also as active participants in the creative process.
The appointment marks a new chapter in Liu’s longstanding relationship with Key to Change. During his six years with the organization, he has worked closely with students throughout the studio while bringing an exceptional breadth of musical experience to his teaching and artistry. A violinist, violist, pianist, conductor, and composer, Liu understands firsthand the range of abilities, experiences, and musical voices represented within the Key to Change community.
As Composer in Residence, Liu will create original music for all Key to Change students, across every musical and technical level. From beginning musicians developing foundational skills to advanced students preparing for collegiate and professional opportunities, students will have the opportunity to study and perform new music created specifically with their development and abilities in mind.
“Geoffrey has been an important part of the Key to Change community for more than six years, and I am excited for our students to experience another dimension of his artistry,” said Dr. Quinton Morris, Founder and Executive Director of Key to Change. “What makes this residency especially meaningful is that Geoffrey knows our students. He understands how they learn, what challenges them, and what they are capable of achieving. As a composer, teacher, performer, and conductor, he brings together so many of the qualities we want our students to encounter in a 21st century musician. I look forward to hearing the music he creates for them and, even more importantly, watching our students discover what it means to bring a brand new work to life.”
“It’s a real blessing to be named Key to Change’s fifth Composer in Residence,” said Liu. “This is a position that has been held by esteemed musicians from across the country, and I hope to continue their legacy. Having been at Key to Change for six years now, I can say that our students have a voracious appetite for music by living composers and composers of color. To me, that means one thing: I’d better get back to composing!”
Through the Composer in Residence program, Key to Change introduces students to the living tradition of classical music while providing direct access to the artists who are contributing to its future. Students engage with the compositional process, encounter new musical ideas, interact directly with a living composer, and ultimately become the first musicians to interpret and perform newly created works.
Liu’s residency will culminate in Key to Change’s New Music Concert on Saturday, June 12, 2027, where his original works will receive their premiere performances by Key to Change students.
For these young musicians, the concert will represent more than a performance. It will be the culmination of a creative relationship among composer, teacher, and student, as well as an opportunity for Key to Change students to contribute their own artistic voices to music that has never before been heard.
With Liu’s appointment, Key to Change continues the artistic tradition established by Vaughn-Jones, Rushen, Stewart, and Kendrick while beginning a new chapter in a program that invites young musicians to understand classical music not simply as a tradition to inherit, but as a living art form in which they can participate, contribute, and help shape its future.
