TORONTO—More than 200 years after his birth, Beethoven’s piano concertos continue to enchant with their beautiful melodies, depth of expression and grand orchestrations.
Thursday night, Toronto audiences were offered a special treat as renowned pianist Radu Lupu took the stage accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to present a brilliant rendition of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C. minor.
Hailed as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, Romanian-born Lupu presented a vigourous and elegant interpretation of one of Beethoven’s most beautiful works. In return, the audience at the Roy Thompson Hall treated him to a standing ovation and three curtain calls.
Peter Oundijian, conductor and musical director of the TSO, extended a warm welcome to Lupu.
“It’s a incredible joy for all of us,” he said.
This was not Lupu’s first time in Toronto. He made his debut there in 1973, shortly after achieving international recognition in the late 1960s.
Celebrated for his highly accomplished interpretations of the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and Schubert, Lupu has performed with some of the leading orchestras in the world, and has made several award-winning recordings. His rendition of Schubert’s Sonatas, D.960 and 664 garnered him a Grammy award in 1995.
Lupu gave his first concert in his native Romania at the age of 12 and later studied with renowned Romanian pianists Florica Muzicescu and Cella Delavrancea. In the early 1960s he gained a scholarship to the Moscow Conservatory and by the end of the decade he had already won three prestigious international piano competitions: Van Cliburn (Texas,1966), Enescu International (Bucharest, 1967) and Leeds International (Leeds, 1969).
Lupu’s performance with the TSO was part of a North American tour that took him to New York City, Miami, Atlanta and Ottawa. He performed another concert at Roy Thomson Hall on Saturday and will return for a final performance with the TSO on Sunday at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. On February 17-18 he is scheduled to perform at Montreal’s Place des Arts.
While Lupu’s rendition of Beethoven’s piano concerto was the highlight on Thursday, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra also featured Igor Stravinsky’s Scherzo Fantastique, a lyrical piece inspired by his mentor Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances.
Thursday night, Toronto audiences were offered a special treat as renowned pianist Radu Lupu took the stage accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to present a brilliant rendition of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C. minor.
Hailed as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, Romanian-born Lupu presented a vigourous and elegant interpretation of one of Beethoven’s most beautiful works. In return, the audience at the Roy Thompson Hall treated him to a standing ovation and three curtain calls.
Peter Oundijian, conductor and musical director of the TSO, extended a warm welcome to Lupu.
“It’s a incredible joy for all of us,” he said.
This was not Lupu’s first time in Toronto. He made his debut there in 1973, shortly after achieving international recognition in the late 1960s.
Celebrated for his highly accomplished interpretations of the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and Schubert, Lupu has performed with some of the leading orchestras in the world, and has made several award-winning recordings. His rendition of Schubert’s Sonatas, D.960 and 664 garnered him a Grammy award in 1995.
Lupu gave his first concert in his native Romania at the age of 12 and later studied with renowned Romanian pianists Florica Muzicescu and Cella Delavrancea. In the early 1960s he gained a scholarship to the Moscow Conservatory and by the end of the decade he had already won three prestigious international piano competitions: Van Cliburn (Texas,1966), Enescu International (Bucharest, 1967) and Leeds International (Leeds, 1969).
Lupu’s performance with the TSO was part of a North American tour that took him to New York City, Miami, Atlanta and Ottawa. He performed another concert at Roy Thomson Hall on Saturday and will return for a final performance with the TSO on Sunday at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. On February 17-18 he is scheduled to perform at Montreal’s Place des Arts.
While Lupu’s rendition of Beethoven’s piano concerto was the highlight on Thursday, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra also featured Igor Stravinsky’s Scherzo Fantastique, a lyrical piece inspired by his mentor Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances.
