Xiaoran “Eric” Liu is a distinguished bamboo flute (dizi) virtuoso and one of the leading figures of his generation in the field of traditional Chinese music. In January 2024, he made a groundbreaking solo debut at Carnegie Hall, presenting the venue’s first-ever full-length recital dedicated entirely to the Chinese bamboo flute—a historic moment that marked a significant step forward in the global recognition of the instrument.

Currently based in New York City, Liu is an independent artist and educator specializing in dizi and xiao. He has been invited to lecture and give masterclasses on Chinese music and culture at institutions such as SUNY and Yale University. In 2025, Liu joined the North American tour of renowned Chinese pop artist Zhou Shen, serving as the featured bamboo flute and xiao soloist. The tour broke box office and attendance records for a Mandarin-language artist in the U.S., with Liu’s performances receiving widespread acclaim from both audiences and media outlets.

Notably, Liu became the first artist in the world to perform the Chinese bamboo flute at Brooklyn’s iconic Barclays Center, further establishing his role as a pioneering cultural ambassador bridging Eastern and Western musical traditions.

劉笑然（Eric Liu）是一位傑出的竹笛演奏家，被譽為當代中國傳統音樂領域最具代表性的青年音樂家之一。2024年1月，他於卡內基音樂廳舉行了破天荒的個人獨奏音樂會，這是該場館有史以來首次完整呈現以中國竹笛為主題的專場演出，為中國傳統樂器的國際認可邁出了具有歷史意義的一步。

目前定居於紐約的劉霄然是一位專注於笛子與簫的獨立音樂人與教育家，曾受邀在紐約州立大學（SUNY）、耶魯大學等高等學府講授中國音樂與文化並舉辦大師班。2025年，他加入中國流行歌手周深的北美巡演，擔任竹笛與簫的特邀獨奏嘉賓。此次巡演創下了華語藝人在美國的票房與觀眾紀錄，劉笑然的演出更廣獲媒體與觀眾高度讚譽。

值得一提的是，他也是第一位在布魯克林巴克萊中心（Barclays Center）演奏中國竹笛的藝術家，進一步奠定了他作為連結東西方音樂文化的重要橋樑與開拓者的地位。