Radu Lupu, Piano
Radu Lupu is firmly established as one of the most important musicians of his generation, widely acknowledged as a leading interpreter of works by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Schubert. Since winning the prestigious Van Cliburn (1966) and Leeds (1969) international competitions, Mr. Lupu has regularly performed as a soloist and a recitalist in the musical capitals of the world and at major festivals in Europe and the US. He has appeared many times with the Berliner Philharmoniker since his debut with that orchestra under Herbert von Karajan in 1978, and with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra , including the opening concert of the 1986 Salzburg Festival under Riccardo Muti. He also performs frequently with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and all of the major London orchestras.
Mr. Lupu's first American appearances were in 1972, with The Cleveland Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim in New York, and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by Carlo Maria Giulini. Concerts with the New York Philharmonic soon followed, and Mr. Lupu has since appeared with all of the foremost American orchestras. This season, his winter tour includes concerts with the orchestras of Chicago, Saint Louis, Houston, and Cincinnati, in addition to recitals in Chicago; Washington, DC; and Princeton.
Mr. Lupu's European orchestral engagements include the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Colin Davis, the Berliner Philharmoniker with Bernard Haitink, and a tour of Germany with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and David Zinman.
Mr. Lupu has made more than 20 recordings for London/Decca, including the complete Beethoven concertos (with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta); the complete Mozart violin and piano sonatas with Szymon Goldberg; and numerous solo recordings of Beethoven, Brahms, and Schubert. His 1995 London/Decca releases of Schubert's sonatas (D. 960 and D. 664) and Schumann's Kinderszenen, Kreisleriana, and Humoresque, won a Grammy and an Edison award, respectively. He has also recorded with pianists Murray Perahia (Sony Classical) and Daniel Barenboim (Teldec), and soprano Barbara Hendricks (EMI).
Born in Romania in 1945, Mr. Lupu began studying the piano at age six with Lia Busuioseanu. He made his public debut with a complete program of his own music at 12, continuing his studies for several years with Florica Muzicescu and Cella Delavrance. In 1961, he won a scholarship to the Moscow State Conservatory, where he studied with Heinrich Neuhaus and his son, Stanislav Neuhaus. While a student at the conservatory, Lupu won—in addition to Van Cliburn and Leeds—first prize in the 1967 Enescu International Competition. In 1989 and again in 2006, he was awarded the prestigious Abbiati Prize, given by the Italian Association of Music Critics. He is also the recipient of the 2006 Premio Internazionale Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Award.
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