Radu Lupu, a world-renowned pianist of Romanian origin, died in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 17 March, aged 76. His introspective and sensitive music-making, his poetic and elegant playing with a wide variety of tones backed by an unaffected yet technique-oriented approach, attracted a large number of fans.
Born in 1945 in Galatsi, eastern Romania. He went on to study at the Bucharest Conservatory, where he studied with Florica Musiciescu, who taught Dinu Lipatti. He then studied at the Moscow Conservatory in the former Soviet Union from 1960 to 1968 under Stanislav Neigaus and others.
He won the second ‘Van Cliburn International Competition’ in 1966 and the ‘Enesco International Competition’ in 1967. He also won the ‘Leeds International Piano Competition’ in 1969 and was described as ‘one of a thousand lyricists’ by the Daily Telegraph on his London debut shortly afterwards. He subsequently based himself in the UK and performed internationally.
He specialised in Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg, Mozart, Schubert and Schumann and made numerous recordings. He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and won one in 1996 for his album of two Schubert piano sonatas.
Since 1993 he has refused to make any recordings, broadcast recordings or interviews, and in the last few years has had to cancel more and more due to ill health, and he will be leaving performing at the end of the 2018/2019 season He had retired.
Photo：Matthias Creutziger
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