BRIDGEPORT — A guitar champion has moved 6,000 miles from his native China to teach guitar lessons in the neighborhood.
Leo Liu, a classical guitar performer who spent more than two decades teaching and performing in China, is preparing to open a guitar studio called "Guitar Father" at 3107 S. Morgan St.
"Call me Leo," said Liu, who beat out 500 players to win a national guitar championship in China in 1993 under his Chinese name: Botao Liu. "Remember me as Guitar Father."
He will begin giving lessons at his studio on Jan. 1. The cost is $200 for 10 30-minute sessions.
Liu moved to the United States two years ago with his wife, mother and son to teach guitar in Chicago. Though he taught at different schools dotting the city, he eventually decided to open his own studio.
The Guitar Father said he chose Bridgeport because there aren't enough places to learn guitar on Chicago's South Side.
"A guitar center is not available here," Liu said.
Liu has been teaching guitar in China since 1988. From 1994-1998, he ran the Shenzhou Music School in Harbin, but eventually moved to Shanghai, where he learned how to speak English by speaking with European and American guitarists.
He uses his own materials to teach guitar method to players of all skill levels. By the end of a 10-session semester, his students have a book's worth of material to practice the styles of music they enjoy.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
