Lupu has won prizes in numerous competitions
such as: Vienna International, Romanian National String Quartet,
Jacques Thibaud in Paris, Carl Flesch in London, Royal Society of
Arts, and the Park Lane Group Contest. Subsequently Lupu came to
the United States to study with Dorothy De Lay and, at Indiana University,
with Josef Gingold and receive chamber music coaching from Menahem
Pressler.
Mr. Lupu is currently professor of violin at the University of
Illinois and has been artistic director of the Gubbio Festival in
Italy and associate concertmaster of the San Francisco Opera.
Appearing frequently as soloist in Europe and the United States,
Lupu has also performed the complete cycle of Beethoven Sonatas
with Menahem Pressler.
Mr. Lupu specializes in the music of his native Romania and Eastern
Europe as well as the virtuoso romantic repertoire.
Solo appearances include The Kennedy Center, Gstaad Festival, Aldeburgh
Festival, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall,
St. John's Smith Square and Carnegie Hall. He has also performed
the Brahms and Tchaikovsky violin concertos in live broadcasts with
the BBC Orchestra and has appeared as soloist with the Northern
Israeli Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Lupu has collaborated with conductors such as Mendi Rodan,
Sir Charles Grove, Harry Blech, Cristian Mandeal, Barry Wadsworth,
Owain Arwell Hughes,Ian Hobson,Kirk Trevor and Horia Andreescu
among others. Sherban Lupu recorded works by Ysaÿe, Bartók,
Enescu, Wieniawski, Ernst, Stravinsky,Bloch and Ginastera for the
ASV,
Arabesque,
Continuum,
Electrecord,Capstone, Zephyr labels, the BBC and he has also
released the recording of the Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin
by J.S.Bach.
In collaboration with the composer Cornel Taranu, Mr. Lupu has
finished and reconstructed the "Caprice Roumain" for violin
and orchestra by George Enescu. That work, performed by Mr. Lupu
in a special concert at the World Exhibition 2000 in Hannover (Germany)
is included in the CD recording of the complete music for violin
by George Enescu, which he has made in collaboration with Valentin
Gheorghiu and the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction
of Cristian Mandeal for the Electrecord label.
In the year 2000, Mr. Lupu received a lifetime achievement award
from the Romanian Cultural Foundation for his efforts to promote
Romanian culture and music internationally.
Much in demand as a pedagogue, Mr. Lupu is a frequent member of
international juries, has given numerous masterclasses and taught
violin courses in England, Holland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Czech
Republic and Poland where in July 2004 he received from the Ministry
of Culture the Award for Outstanding Teaching.
In May 2002 Sherban Lupu has been given the prestigious "Arnold
Beckman" Award from the Research Board of the University of
Illinois towards the recording of the complete works for violin
and piano by Bela Bartók.
In November 2002 Mr. Lupu was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris
Causa by the Academy of Music "G. Dima" from Cluj (Romania)
and in January 2004 the President of Romania has conferred upon
Sherban Lupu the title of Commander of the National Order of Merit
and Service for his worldwide musical and cultural activities.
Since 2002 Mr. Lupu is the Artistic Director of the International Festival "The Musical Citadel of Brasov", Romania.
In September 2005 Sherban Lupu organized the American premiere
of the Opera "Oedipus" by George Enescu at the University
of Illinois and the Symposium "Oedipus Myth and Its Interpretation"
Also, in September 2005, together with the Romanian Cultural Institute Mr. Lupu has published six volumes of previously unknown works for violin by George
Enescu. The works were discovered, edited, and aranged by Sherban Lupu.
For the academic year 2005-2006 Sherban Lupu has been appointed
as Associate of the Center for Advanced Studies at University of
Illinois and since December 2005 Mr. Lupu is the Artistic Director
of the George Enescu Society of the United States.
In 2007 Sherban Lupu received again the prestigious "Arnold
Beckman" Award from the Research Board of the University of
Illinois and was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris causa from the Al. I. Cuza University of Iasi, Romania. |
