… years old. He made his orchestral debut at eight, an occasion memorable for the loss of one of his milk teeth during the performance! While studying at Moscow’s Gnessin School of Music, he listened to historic recordings of the great pianists from an earlier era, seeking inspiration and learning from recordings of Rachmaninoff, Cortot, Horowitz, Friedman and others from the golden age of piano playing. It’s no surprise that amongst his inspirations today are Martha Argerich, Grigory Sokolov and Radu Lupu. He seems to embody so many of their musical qualities, while also carving a …

She’s stood in for Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia, and performs with some of the greatest orchestras and conductors, who praise her playfulness and unpretentiousness, coupled with artistic maturity, commitment, excellent preparation and professionalism. Ravel: Piano Concert in G major - II. Adagio assai Elfin in statue, her technical and artistic prowess and pianistic power belie her petite frame, often clad in dazzling, eye-catching attire and spiky stiletto shoes (which have most of us who play the piano seriously wondering how on earth she manages to pedal!). Critics have commented on the slinky dresses …

… appointed jury, usually consisting of piano ‘celebrities’ (often established world-class players) and acclaimed teachers, the unquestioned authorities on piano playing. Piano competitions are a way of discovering new talent and have introduced us to some of the greatest pianists of our time, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Van Cliburn, Radu Lupu, John Ogdon, Murray Perahia, Mitsuko Uchida, Peter Donohoe, Maurizio Pollini, Krystian Zimmerman, Martha Argerich, Boris Giltburg, Yulianna Avdeeva, Daniil Trifonov, Seong-Jin Cho and, most recently, Eric Lu (winner of the 2018 edition of the Leeds). Success in a competition marks a decisive moment in the career of …

… We just drank it all in. We went from one concert to another. And what concerts! Our teachers were the icons of the stage. We students were quite a crowd. So prodigiously gifted, so many destined for grand careers. Looking back there were also a lot from abroad. There was Radu Lupu, Peter Rösel, Dódý Tryggvason, Arthur Moreira Lima. And from England Liza Wilson, Allan Schiller … and, of course, Jacqueline du Pré, young, smiling and unforgettable . Love was everywhere. Radu was courting Liza. Dódý was hanging around with Vova [Ashkenazy]. Peter from Dresden had his eye on me. We supported …

Concluding this series on Brahms' late piano works, we have reached the last composition for solo piano by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) – Klavierstücke Op.119. It was written together with Op.118 during his stay in Bad Ischl in 1893. Consistent with the previous opus, this collection of piano pieces, as a constellation of imageries, has much diversity in its display of emotions – ranging from desolation to jubilance. Radu Lupu Plays Brahms 4 Pieces for Piano Op.119 The first Intermezzo in B minor, marked Adagio, commences with sobriety, sentiment and despondency – which we may try to link with …

… instance, the Ballade was taken at a brisk pace, containing the fervour and passion that the composer asked for. There was a pleasing balance between lyricism and fire in his playing, as evidenced by the last Intermezzo. Johannes Brahms: 6 Piano Pieces, Op. 118: No. 1. Intermezzo in A Minor (Radu Lupu, piano) Compared with Perahia’s rendition, Radu Lupu presented a more introspective reading of the set, with the exception of the Ballade, in which Lupu pulled off a surprisingly thrilling performance. In slower pieces, like No.2, his playing was meditative, reflective and highly expressive. Unsurpassable emotional …

… soon disrupted as it gradually dissolves into the more agitated, though still subdued middle section in E-flat minor, which is full of poignancy and sentimentality. As the music returns to its first theme, the melody is split between two hands, with a sense of reminiscence and personal recollections. After a heart-wrenching “sighing” motif, the music provides some relief at the end. Radu Lupu’s rendition of this piece was intimate and deeply personal. With a seemingly “hammerless” touch, he let the music breathe and flow naturally. The emotions conveyed were restrained, particularly when

… suffering agent, tricky ex-girlfriends, the city financier who wants to bankroll a new recording label to his petulant young protégé Vadim, and there is even a cameo of the late great Sviatoslav Richter in the form of ageing Russian pianist Konstantine Serebriakov. Schubert: Impromptu in G flat, D899/3 (Radu Lupu) Through the central character of Philip, the book examines the complex inner life of a great artist, the passion and the pain, the travails of practising and preparing for concerts, endlessly feeding the creative spirit, the conflict between life and art, and how music has the power to …