Jaco Liu
Biography Jaco Liu
Jaco Liu
Jaco’s musical journey has been full of unexpected turns. Born in Baiyin, Gansu—a city not known for its music—he grew up in a family rich with musical atmosphere. His father was a bassist in a band, and his uncle played electric guitar. At the age of four, he began learning electric piano under his father’s guidance, and by seven, he had switched to guitar lessons with his uncle.
Two years later, a performance video by Japanese guitarist Yuki Matsui inspired the nine-year-old to fall in love with fingerstyle guitar. With few scores available, he relied on his sharp ear to learn by transcribing recordings, teaching himself to perform works by some of the world’s leading guitarists, including Tommy Emmanuel, Peter Finger, Don Ross, and Andy McKee.
In 2017, at just 12 years old, Liu shot to fame in China after his cover video of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck went viral, reaching over 100 million views online. That same year, he appeared on national television shows such as Chucai Zhongguoren and Kuaile Dabenying, and became the youngest ever winner of China’s largest acoustic guitar competition, WAGF. In 2018, he toured eight cities across China with Petteri Sariola and Seiji Igusa, and has since performed nationwide tours almost every year.
In 2024, Liu entered the Hochschule für Musik Dresden, studying under world-renowned guitarists Thomas Fellow, Stephan Bormann, and Petr Saidl. As his musical path developed, he gradually shifted from covers to original compositions, using music to express his emotions and reflections. He released his debut original album A New Day in 2019, followed by 17 in 2021. In 2025, he released his third original album Soliloquy. The album was made possible by the recording opportunity he received after being named Winner of the 6th European Guitar Award.
