Somewhere in Austin, TX, a nine-year-old boy started learning an instrument that would take him all the way through his childhood. Before, he played the piano, but there was just something not quite right. The music was fun, the boy’s fingers glided over the keys, but it did not fill him up, did not instantly connect with him the way it was supposed to. It just wasn’t working. That changed when he decided to watch his sister’s violin lesson. 

Nine years later, he’s still playing violin. But this time, he won’t be practicing at home. In July he will be an adult, ready to take his beloved violin to the University of Illinois. 

“I started when I was a kid,” Darren Liu ‘24 said. “I got into music and thought it was cool because I actually started piano first but I didn’t really like it so I thought it was a good time for me to try another instrument,”

While watching his sister play, his mother asked him whether he wanted to try learning violin. Liu responded, “Sure, why not?” Since then, Liu’s been on an incredible journey, from performing in front of several parents to taking it to one of the most prestigious internationally recognized concert halls, Carnegie Hall, in New York City. 

“I was extremely grateful to play at Carnegie Hall during eighth grade,” Liu said. “[I went there because] I won a [international] violin competition. It was really special to me and was a very good experience because it was my first time playing in front of such a big audience, in front of people from all over the world.”

When he’s not on a stage, Liu is at school with his fellow classmates, perfecting every note in the Westwood Symphony Orchestra, getting ready for the night when they deliver a breathtaking performance. 

“Just being there, present, and participating in orchestra is already super enjoyable. It’s a great way to connect with other [people who play] different instruments,” Liu said. 

“I would say the feeling is bittersweet because I’m happy for them to go start their lives,” Mr. Thompson said. “That’s what commencement is, it’s the beginning, not the end. But I’m sad to see them go. We get really close in orchestra all these four years, and I’ll definitely miss them. At Westwood, there are so many options they can do. For them to make music a priority when taking a thousand AP [and IB] classes, it’s great that they still find a place to make music.”  

Liu’s mother, Ms. Mei Chang, is also extremely proud of her son’s perseverance and balance between academics and hobbies. Though she always wished he would go to a college in Texas, she knows that it is time for Liu to go out and see the world.

“I am so proud of [Darren],” Chang said. “I knew he was a brilliant child with a talent in playing the violin. I knew it wasn’t the end of his musical journey when he quit piano. I’m glad that he has a very special hobby to take with him anywhere in Illinois or maybe even the world [and] I hope he studies hard and has fun [there].”