“The widely admired Romanian pianist Radu Lupu has died at age 76,” writes Anastasia Tsioulcas in Monday’s (4/18) National Public Radio. “His manager, Jenny Vogel, told NPR that he died ‘peacefully at his home in Switzerland from multiple prolonged illnesses’ on Sunday evening. Lupu was frequently cited by fellow musicians as an inspiration and model of artistic expression, particularly for his interpretations of Schubert, Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven and Bartók, among other composers…. Lupu had retired from public performances in 2019…. Throughout his career, Lupu recoiled from interviews and press appearances; he also did not allow radio broadcasts of his performances. But his music making became the stuff of deep dedication among fans and fellow musicians. Born in Galati, Romania, on Nov. 30, 1945, he began piano lessons at age 6…. His international career began with a blazing trio of wins: … the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Texas in 1966, the George Enescu International Piano Competition in Bucharest in 1967, and the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition in England in 1969. By the following year, he had begun recording for Decca, his record label home for the next two-plus decades. [On] Monday, tributes from fellow musicians poured out on social media, including from pianists Igor Levit, Krill Gerstein, Vikingur Olafsson, Lars Vogt, Gabriela Montero and Stewart Goodyear, as well as composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.”
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