Radu Lupu

A grand aristocrat of the keyboard whose temperament, patriarchal stance and distinctive seat at the instrument make for invariably charismatic encounter, the Romanian Radu Lupu was born on 30 November 1945. He made his public début at twelve, studied with Florica Muzicescu (Lipatti's teacher), and in 1963 went to the Moscow Conservatoire to work under Heinrich Neuhaus and his son Stanislav. Winning the 1969 Leeds Piano Competition, even more than Van Cliburn or Enescu, shot him to international fame, appearances with Barenboim, Giulini, Mehta, Karajan and Previn, and a recording contract with Decca. Renowned for his eloquent, intimate, autocratically vulcanic way with the Viennese and German classics, his concerto and recital appearances these days are the more special and sought-after for being so selectively infrequent.

Radu Lupu retired from performing in public at the end of the 2018–2019 season and, following a long illness, he died on 17 April 2022, aged seventy-six, in Lausanne, Switzerland.

 

A selection of articles about Radu Lupu

Profile. To Vladivostok With Thanks - Memories of the Russian pianist and teacher Vadim Suchanov (1949-2024) from Béla Hartmann

Ensemble. Very Emotional - Concerts in Rome for Peace, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Dancing Goblins - Music by Bazzini, heard by Howard Smith. '... Hanslip brings it off with suitable aplomb.'

Ensemble. Rebel to rebel - Beethoven, Berg and others in Cleveland and New York, reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz