Catalina Butcaru
(piano)
Catalina Butcaru was born in the town of Constanta, Romania. She is one of the outstanding talents of her generation. Her understanding of music paired with supreme virtuosity and a sense of theatre has delighted conductors, musical partners and critics alike. A review of a concert of chamber music at the Konzerthaus in Vienna said " the Romanian pianist is a musical partner of astounding maturity, technically impeccable with an expressive gift that ranges from sublime differentiation to compelling energetic power.”
From the age of five she was taught by Victoria Nitu at the music grammar school in Constanta after which she continued with Olga Szel at the G. Enescu school in Bucharest while being promoted by the prominent Romanian pianists Aurora Ienei and Dan Grigore.
At the tender age of sixteen she was accepted at the Music and Art University in Vienna where she studied with Prof. Jürg von Vintschger and won her performers diploma. Important stimuli were provided by her extensive work with the pianist Meira Farkas. She continued her studies with the famous Russian teacher Alexandr Satz at the Music University in Graz where she received her Masters degree in 2006. In addition she has attended master classes with such musicians as Dmitri Bashkirov and has won many competitions.
Catalina Butcaru gave her first public concert at the age of eight. Aged fourteen she made her first appearance with orchestra followed by recordings for Romanian radio. From 1996 to 2001 she was engaged in a series of recordings for Austrian radio and television. Since 2000 Catalina Butcaru played many concerts in the UK, Austria, Italy, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Turkey, Bulgaria and her native Romania. In April 2006 she gave a very well received debut recital in London.
Her activities in chamber music include appearances with the violinist Yair Kless and the cellist of the Alban Berg Quartet, Valentin Erben. Further appearances include those at the Austrian Radiokulturhaus in Vienna, the festival of chamber music at Reichenau, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Atheneum in Bucharest and the Martinu Hall in Prague.
