Romanian pianist Radu Lupu enjoyed an outstandingly successful career. Born in 1945, he began piano studies at the age of six, and after only six years of study made his public recital debut; later he earned a scholarship to the Moscow Conservatory, where he worked under the great Heinrich Neuhaus.
In 1966 Lupu won the prestigious Van Cliburn Competition. Usually such a triumph would move a young pianist to abandon formal training and embark on a full-scale professional career, but Lupu chose instead to remain at the conservatory for another few years.
Only when honored with the top prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 1969 did Lupu disengage himself once and for all from student life and take up the role of traveling virtuoso; in the next few years he made appearances in all of the major musical capitals of both Europe and the United States.
Mr. Lupu has made a musical home for himself in the rich 19th century repertoire particularly Schubert, Schumann, Beethoven, and Brahms. But he has never hesitated to have his audience enjoy his performances of Mozart’s music.
Here is Radu Lupu in A concert from 2017:
