Wen Liu is a multidisciplinary composer and media artist, widely recognized for her boundary-pushing work that blends music, visuals, dance, theater, and technology to create immersive, interactive experiences. Her passion for exploring the intersection of science, technology, and storytelling drives her innovative approach to contemporary art forms.

 

As the founder and artistic director of Festival M.A.R.S. (Music & Arts ReSound) and Studio M.A.R.S. (Music Art Research Science), Wen Liu leads the visionary collective at the forefront of multimedia storytelling and immersive opera. Studio M.A.R.S. is known for its unique combination of dark humor, absurdism, and biting satire, woven together with a distinct visual and musical aesthetic. Central to Studio M.A.R.S.’s identity is the concept of "authentically artificial"—a bold fusion of heightened music, surreal settings, and exaggerated visuals that blur the line between reality and artifice, revealing deeper insights into human experience.

 

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Wen graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor and a Master of Arts in Music Composition from the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, and pursued a Ph.D. in Music Composition at University of California, San Diego.

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She has received several awards and honors,  including the winner of S+T+ARTS ReSilence EU Artists in Residence; Ö1 Talentebörse-Kompositionspreis Austria; the Austria Federal Staatsstipendium; the City of Vienna Musikstipendium; the Fellowship of European Music Accelerator; the Fellowship of the Goethe Institut ‘AI to Amplify’; the Francisco Escudero International Composition Competition; the International Composer's Competition New Note; the Förderungspreis for Music from the City of Vienna, and the Theodor Körner Prize under the patronage of former Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer. 

 

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​Her work has been featured at numerous renowned international festivals, including La Biennale di Venezia, Ars Electronica Festival, Athens Digital Arts Festival, Wien Modern, Expo Shanghai, ManiFeste IRCAM, Steirische Herbst, ZeitRäume Basel:Bienalle für Musik und Architektur, Crossings for contemporary music and dance Johannesburg, Biennale Taschenopernfestival Salzburg, Festival Mixtur Barcelona, and Stockholm Fringe Fest.

She has also been invited to be an artist-in-residence in Johannesburg, South Africa; in Singapore; at the Festival d'Aix en Provence, at Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and La Monnaie/De Munt;  and serves as a mentor for the SEWEM European Women Music program.