Lunaris by Bruce Liu – New Release

The 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition laureate Bruce Liu is set to release his next studio effort, Lunaris, on 7 August 2026. The 12‑track programme – a sonic meditation on night, light and the inner world of the piano – will be available on CD, vinyl and all major streaming platforms.

A Program Beyond a Recital

Unlike a conventional recital, Lunaris is conceived as an “immersive listening experience.” Liu explains, “It’s not only a selection of pieces I love, but it’s my attempt at creating a new way of listening and experiencing sound that has grown inside of me. This atmosphere of suspended time, and the coexistence of intimacy and distance, are things I recognize in my daily relationship with the instrument.”

The album’s core is Beethoven’s iconic “Moonlight” and “Waldstein” sonatas, around which Liu has woven a tapestry of canonical masterpieces and overlooked gems. The programme juxtaposes Chopin’s lyrical Nocturne, Debussy’s shimmering Rêverie, and Bach’s timeless Prelude with rare recordings of Mompou, the ecstatic intensity of Scriabin, and the hypnotic beauty of Cage’s Dream. Contemporary colours from Agnes Obel and György Ligeti add a fresh, unexpected edge.

Track Highlights

Side	Tracks
A	1. Chopin – Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 (D‑flat major)
	2‑4. Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata (three movements)
B	5. Debussy – Rêverie
	6. Bach – Prelude in B‑minor (BWV 855a, arr. Siloti)
	7. Obel – Tokka
	8‑10. Mompou – “Au clair de la lune” (Glossa & Fantasia)
	11. Schönberg – Klavierstücke 1
	12. Ligeti – Fanfares
C	13‑15. Beethoven – Waldstein Sonata (three movements)
D	16‑18. Scriabin – Sonata No. 4 (two movements)
	19. Hahn – Hivernale
	20. Cage – Dream

The full CD tracklist is available on the publisher’s website and on the album’s pre‑order page.

Critical Praise and Artistic Vision

Liu’s playing has been described by Le Monde as “elf‑like virtuosity” and by The Guardian as “elegance and lightness of touch.” These accolades foreshadow the refined and expressive performance that characterises Lunaris. Reviewers have already noted how the pianist shapes each piece into a “space of suspended time, light and imagination,” bringing a cinematic, nocturnal atmosphere to the listening room.

Release and Availability

Release date: 7 August 2026
Formats: CD, vinyl LP, digital download, streaming
Pre‑orders: Open now at the publisher’s site; special edition includes a digital booklet with program notes and interview excerpts.

The album will be launched with a virtual listening party featuring a live Q&A with Bruce Liu, streamed on the label’s official channel and shared across major social media platforms.

Lunaris promises to be a milestone in contemporary classical piano discography, offering a unique blend of the familiar and the obscure, the classical and the modern. Fans of lyrical depth and atmospheric nuance will find a compelling new addition to their collection in this moonlit odyssey.