Youth Orchestra
Haowen Liu
Haowen Liu is a senior at Clayton High School and is in his third season with the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. He began playing violin at the age of 11, studying with Alexey Shabalin, and currently studies with Angie Smart. As a violist, Liu currently studies with Joanna Mendoza.
Liu participated in the Missouri All-State Orchestra in 2024 and 2025 as a violinist and was selected as principal violist in 2026. In 2025, he won the Missouri Music Teachers Association Upper Strings division as a violinist. Liu is also a member of the Amare String Quartet, which studies at the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis’s Chamber Academy and was coached by SLSO musicians Hannah Ji and Chris Tantillo, as well as members of the Arianna String Quartet. The Amare String Quartet was named a national finalist in the Junior Division of the 2026 Saint Paul String Quartet Competition. Liu also performed in a student string quartet at the State of Missouri’s 2026 Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration in Jefferson City.
At Clayton High School, Liu plays in the Symphonic Orchestra under the direction of Daniel Henderson and is a member of Tri-M Music Honor Society and the school’s Buskers Club. Outside of performing, Liu serves as Editor-in-Chief of his school newspaper, The Globe. He also enjoys running, painting, traveling, and visiting national parks. Liu is grateful to his teachers, mentors, grandparents, and parents for their guidance and support throughout his musical journey.
