“Classically trained but never contained…” – that’s the tagline that generally describes Michael Liu’s stage alias ‘Mr Michael’. He has performed prolifically as a violinist and DJ in the Canberra arts scene for the last decade and has cemented his reputation as a respected and versatile musician and events manager. 

Perhaps lesser known is his marketing and managing experience which he brings to the festival for another year. Michael began work in Canberra in the parliamentary Press Gallery before working a stint as a political staffer. He then branched out into the retail and hospitality industries – both on the frontline and in various marketing and business development roles ­– to broaden his skillset. During this time, he was founding Music Director of Fashfest and developed its first two musical programs. Other work includes musical programming and events management with Dendy Cinemas, Canberra Centre and Canberra Airport. Michael has worked on countless music and arts events in the Canberra region ranging from small intimate shows to enormous music festivals. 

In 2015, Michael Liu joined David Caffery at Dionysus, an event programs and cultural development organisation, as Events and Media Strategist. As an extension of this role, Michael is delighted to return for the festival for another year as Communications and Marketing Manager. In 2019, Michael joined the curatorial team as Local Music Curator. In 2020, he assumes the role of Music Curator at large.