Liviu Prunaru (born 1969 in Craiova) is a Romanian violinist. He serves as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's concertmaster together with Vesko Eschkenazy.[1]
Violinist Liviu Prunaru has won the top prizes and gained international recognition at themost prestigious International Violin Competitions in the world. Mr. Prunaru was the 1997Gold Medallist of the Dong-A International Violin Competition in Korea, Silver Medallistof the 1998 Indianapolis International Violin Competition in the US, Silver (2nd GrandPrize) Medallist at the 1993 Queen Elizabeth in Brussels, Gold Medallist at the 1991 RodolfoLipizer International Violin Competition in Italy, and Gold Medallist at the R. Molinari ViolinCompetition in Switzerland, among many others.Mr. Prunaru made his New York City debut with the Juilliard Symphony in LincolnCenter's Alice Tully Hall after capturing the 1st grand prize in the Juilliard MendelssohnCompetition. Also in 1999, Mr. Prunaru won the 1st grand prize at the E. NakamichiWieniawski Violin Concerto Competition resulting in performances with the Aspen YoungArtists Orchestra.Mr. Prunaru has been featured as a soloist with: Concertgebouw Amsterdam,the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, Belgium NationalOrchestra, Westdeutsche Sinfonia, Athens Philharmonic Orchestra, Bari SymphonyOrchestra, Bucharest Radio-Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Mayo of Buenos Aires,Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Meridian Symphony, Mississippi Symphony, theJuilliard Symphony, and the Puchon Philharmonic Orchestra in Korea among many others.Mr. Prunaru has collaborated with many renowned conductors including Lord YehudiMenuhin, Fabio Luisi, Emmanuel Krivine, Arthur Arnold, Alexandru Lascae, GeorgesOctors, Dmitri Lyss, Alexander Dimitriev, Peter Oundjian, Yuri Simonov, Andrew Litton,Peter Braschkat, Cristian Mandeal, Lukas Vis, Horia Andreescu, Mario Benzecry, Park EunSeong amongst many others. Mr. Prunaru performs frequently as a soloist and in recital in allmajor cities in the world.Mr. Prunaru has performed at many prestigious Festivals including Aspen (US),Menuhin (CH), Enescu (RO), Brussels, Buenos Aires, Wallonie, Flanders, Evian, Athens,Incontri in Terra di Siena, Ascoli, and Salzburg Festivals.Mr. Prunaru has recorded many CDs with Camerata Lysy, as well as his own debutCD featuring works by Strauss, Brahms, Gluck, de Falla, Saint-Saëns, and Sarasate withpianist Luc Devos, which is released by Pavane Records.
Born in Craiova, Romania, Mr. Prunaru began his violin studies at the age of 6 withProfessor Oprisan. His teachers: Mr.Berbec, Ms. Mihaela Mailat, Ms.Adriana Carpen andMs.Cornelia Bonzetti, guided him through his early years. During this period he won sevennational competitions and 1st prize at the International Kocian competition of Czechoslovakia.Then in 1990, Mr. Prunaru was invited by violinist and Maestro Alberto Lysy to study withhim at the renowned Menuhin Academy of Gstaad, Switzerland, where he worked amonggreat artists like Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Igor Oistrakh, Ruggiero Ricci, Nikita Magaloff, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Peter-Lukas Graf, and Pierre Amoyal.Mr. Prunaru completed his professional studies with Miss Dorothy DeLay in NewYork, where he also actively participated in Master Classes with Itzakh Perlman.The Swiss record company Claves released all three violin concertos by Saint-Saënswhere violinist Liviu Prunaru is accompanied by the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and thedistinguished conductor Lawrence Foster.As a last addition to his discography 3 recordings came out in 2005, Beethoven'sIntegral violin and piano Sonatas, with Dana Protopopescu as partner, Vivaldi's Four Seasonswith Virtuosy from Lviv, conductor Serhyi Burko and Dvořák's violin concerto with DavidAngus, conductor and Symfonie Orkester of Flanders.
The 2010-2011 musical season was to include tours, recitals, concerts and Masterclasses in US, Korea, Japan, China, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria,
France, Germany, UK, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Argentina, Spain, Italyand Romania.
In September 2006, after 14 years of teaching at the Menuhin Academy, LiviuPrunaru became concert master of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam whichreceived, in 2008, for the first time, the title of the best orchestra in the world!
October 2010 makes another turn in Prunaru's musical life with when he accepts tobecome the musical director of International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland andtherefore to continue the tradition of his beloved Masters Yehudi Menuhin and Alberto Lysy!
He is playing on a Stradivari dated 1694, graciously offered by the Concertgebouw'sboard of sponsors.
“Technical mastery…he can turn a single phrase with one note…”
The Strad
“If a musical paradise exists, it must resemble the violin of Liviu Prunaru…luminous, limpid,radiant…a single phrase suffices for the audience to hold their breath, suspended by hisbow…with this Romanian all music flows from the source effortless, with all the naturalelegance of youth…”Le Soir
“The bow of Prunaru draws a true sonorous beauty and is rendered with exceptional ease, allin simplicity, but with what grandeur! Luminous…a radiant seduction but at the same time, apenetrating sensitivity.”La Grande Fancy Fair d’Anvers
“…he possesses not only an accomplished technique and style, but also a very largerepertoire…he can play everything!”Auxipress, Juillet Musical d’Aulnes, Belgium
“The vibrato and authenticity of Prunaru resembles that of the young Menuhin.”Jean-Michel Molkhou, Diapason