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One day 30 years ago, Lu Jiankang's busy schedule was interrupted by a student who came knocking on his office door to ask for a ticket to Japanese conductor Ozawa Seiji's concert.
Lu, who was then Haidian Theater's manager, was surprised by the boldness of the student. But he was also impressed by the boy's courage, which prompted him to add a seat in the theater.
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Decades later, the two meet again.
This time, Lu, a veteran producer behind many national galas, is working with Liu on the latter's upcoming concert, Our Days, which will be held on Jan 1.
"I have always wanted to have a concert for Chinese mainland musicians," says Lu, who is the show's producer. "As the performance market booms in China, our audiences need to be treated to a high-quality concert from an iconic mainland figure. Liu is a great choice."
Although the 49-year-old Liu has only released three albums and two concerts, he is regarded as a celebrated figure in China's music industry for his wide vocal range and songwriting talent.
"He is a household name in China, and his songs are widely enjoyed by audiences of different generations," Lu adds. "He is not only a pop star but also a crossover musician who is good at other music genres, such as classical music and jazz."
When Lu approached Liu about the concert, Liu was hesitant because he keeps a low profile and rarely performs in public.
"Although new faces pop up every day, people still remember his songs. It's meaningful to review those songs, which have left an impression during the past 30 years," Lu says.
Liu's concert, Our Days, will be held on Jan 1, 2013, at MasterCard Center in Beijing.
Having turned down many concert invitations during the past few years, Liu says he has been pushed to return to the spotlight in 2012.
Two of the most popular TV shows in China this year saw the involvement of the low-profile musician - he sang the theme song for the 76-episode TV series Legend of Zhen Huan, which has swept the mainland with its popularity, and reality TV show, The Voice of China, which had Liu as one of the judges and coaches.
"Initially, I was not sure about the concert. But I have made promises on The Voice of China, so I have to keep my word," Liu tells China Daily, laughing.
Liu keeps his concerts simple. He usually wears a round-neck black T-shirt and loose pants. He avoids having dancers and dazzling stage designs, which he says are distracting.
The only thing he cares about is the presentation of his music.
"I believe what the audiences want most is to listen to my songs during the concert," he says.
One of the anthems he will perform is Lu Lu, which he wrote 10 years ago and sang in public for the first time in 2004. It's a song for his wife, Lu Lu. They married nine days after they met in November 1987.
These days, Liu spends a lot of his time with his family in the United States.
