Radu Lupu | Biography

Born in , Radu Lupu began taking piano lessons from Lia Busuioceanu at the age of six. At the young age of 12, he made his public debut with a complete programme of his own music. He continued his studies for several years with Florica Muzicescu and before winning a scholarship in 1961 to the Moscow Conservatoire, where he studied with Galina Eghyazarova, Heinrich Neuhaus and later with Stanislav Neuhaus. He won first prize in three competitions: the 1966 Van Cliburn, the 1967 Enescu International, and the 1969 Leeds International.

Mr Lupu has performed in conjunction with many of the most prestigious orchestras of the world. He made his debut in 1978, conducted by Karajan and the Berlin Philarmonic Orchestra. Lupu has also worked with the Vienna Philharmonic, with which he opened the 1986 Salzburg Festival under Muti, along with the Royal Concertgebouw, all of the major London orchestras, and each of the great American orchestras. In the United States, his first significant appearances were in 1972 with the and Barenboim in New York, as well as with the Chicago Symphony and Giulini. He has been featured at many notable music festivals worldwide and has been a regular guest at the Salzburg and Lucerne Festivals.

His recordings for Decca include the Beethoven Piano Concertos, Brahms Concerto No 1, Grieg and Schumann Concertos, the complete collection of Mozart Violin and Piano Sonatas with , Debussy and Franck Violin and Piano Sonatas with . In addition, he has recorded solo works by Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann and Schubert. In 1995, he won two awards in the category “Best Instrumental Record of the Year”: a Grammy for Schubert’s Sonatas in A major D664 and B flat major D960, and an for Schumann’s Kinderszenen, Kreisleriana and Humoresque. He has also compiled two records with (CBS), two albums with (EMI) of Schubert Lieder with and a collection of pieces for four hands by Schubert with ().

Mr Lupu’s prior concerto engagements have included the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir , for his 85th birthday celebration no less, the Luxemburg Orchestra, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Boston Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, Berlin RSB and the Mozart Orchestra Bologna. He has held recitals in Paris, Geneva, Genova, Turin, Aix-en-Provence, Vicenza, the Brescia and Bergamo Festival, as well as in several cities in the US including at New York’s esteemed . Ten separate tours to Japan and performances in Seoul, Korea augment this impressive list.

In 2006, Mr Lupu was presented with two awards: the Premio Internazionale Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, and, for a second time after his previous win in 1989, the Abbiati prize, conferred by the Italian Critics’ Association.

Season 2016/2017 Any amendments or cuts need the consent of Künstlersekretariat Astrid Schoerke. Foto: Klaus Rudolph