Ethan Liu, saxophone
Meet Ethan
Ethan Liu (saxophone), 18, is currently a senior at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, by parents who are professionals in the traditional Chinese arts, Ethan grew up surrounded by Guzheng melodies and traditional ink brush paintings. He began learning classical piano at age three, violin at seven, and saxophone in middle school, in order to join the concert band. Upon arriving at Phillips Academy, Ethan discovered an intense love for jazz. With classical training as a strong technical foundation, he immersed himself in the practice of jazz vocabulary at Andover.
Outside of playing lead alto saxophone in the Phillips Academy (PA) Jazz Band, viola in the PA Chamber Orchestra, and snare drum in the PA Drumline, Ethan leads an on-campus cover band named Goose and Moose, performing 90+ originals/covers for 2000+ Andover students, faculty, and parents throughout the school year. With the PA Jazz Band, Concert Band, and Orchestra, Ethan has also had the chance to perform abroad in Lisbon and London. Since 10th grade, Ethan has spent his Saturdays at New England Conservatory (NEC) Prep in Boston, performing on piano and/or saxophone in various jazz combos, as well as lead alto saxophone in the NEC Prep Youth Jazz Orchestra (YJO). Other honors include earning the lead alto saxophone spot in the 2025 Massachusetts High School All-State Jazz Band, and being selected to represent Prep Jazz at the NEC Prep 75th Anniversary Celebration Concert, performing alongside Grammy award-winning jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer, Steven Feifke. Most recently, Ethan has been recognized as a 2026 National YoungArts Award Winner in Jazz/Piano. As a composer, Ethan’s big band original “Goose and Moose” was premiered in 2023 by the Phillips Academy Jazz Band and by the NEC Prep Youth Jazz Orchestra in 2024. Additional original tunes by Ethan, representing themes of Florida nature, have since been premiered by the Phillips Academy and NEC Prep jazz combos throughout the past two years.
In his free time, Ethan loves making one-man short films that follow his adventures in nature. He also loves to bike and run through the woods in Florida when back home, or to immerse himself in street photography in Boston’s Back Bay between NEC Prep rehearsals.
Receiving the Award will allow Ethan to purchase his own alto saxophone and will also allow him to take additional private lessons with esteemed performers and mentors.
