Kuok-Wai Lio

Four summers ago, Kuok-Wai Lio came to the United States from China to study piano in Lawrence.

As part of the annual International Institute for Young Musicians, he was one of a handful of elite students invited to compete and learn from top teachers. He even won that year’s piano competition.

Fast-forward four years. Lio, 20, has already made a name for himself in the world of piano music, winning top honors at several international competitions. He also has performed with several orchestras, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Pan Asia, Guangzhou, North Arkansas and Russian symphony orchestras, as well as the China Philharmonic.

This weekend, he’ll return to Lawrence to perform with the Kansas City Symphony at the Lied Center. The performance is at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, and Lio will play Felix Mendelssohn’s Concerto in D-Minor.

Lio has fond memories of Lawrence.

“The town is lovely,” he says via e-mail from China. “The university has great halls and wonderful pianos.”

He credits the IIYM with his success.

“I could not have gone this far without participating (in) IIYM,” he says. “It is still inspiring and motivating me in a way. It was where I first encountered … American audiences, teachers and friends.”

As far as the piece he’ll be playing Sunday, he says this: “It is a huge challenge for me, as it is not an often-heard piece. To me, this piece is religious in a way, and the opening reminds me of the oratorio ‘Elijah.’ The concert commemorates the 200th anniversary of (Mendelssohn’s) birth.”

He’s looking forward to returning to the Lied Center.

“It is like home to me,” he says. “It is where I first performed in this country.”