Radu Lupu Essentials

Born in Romania in 1945, pianist Radu Lupu triumphed as a young man at three major competitions, including the 1969 Leeds International Piano Competition. He signed to Decca and recorded much of the key piano literature in his early years—and then suddenly stopped. He partnered with violinist Kyung Wha Chung for a glorious Franck sonata, the soprano Barbara Hendricks, and the pianist Murray Perahia in works by Mozart and Schubert. Playing solo Schumann or Brahms, Lupu was a keyboard poet who could woo birds from the trees. He retired from public performances in 2019, and died in April 2022 at the age of 76.