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The Romanian-born pianist, Eduard Stan, has received international acclaim after immigrating to Germany in 1978 at the age of eleven. After Karl-Heinz Kämmerling noticed his talent, it was Arie Vardi who became Eduard’s main mentor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, where he obtained his Master Degree. Praised by Vardi as "a successful combination of a Romanian soul with musical sensitivity grown on German spiritual ground", he also benefited from the advice of Herbert Blomstedt, Martin Dörrie, Matthias Goerne, Karl Engel, Boris Berman and Paul Badura-Skoda.
Eduard Stan has performed across Europe - beside Germany in France, Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Holland, Norway, Romania - and the USA, including major concerts at important venues as Wigmore Hall in London, Berlin Philharmonie, Luxemburg Philharmonie, Flagey Hall Brussels, Musikhalle Hamburg, Atheneum Bucharest, Temple Square in Salt Lake City and Pacific Union College (PUC) Concert Series in California, as well as several French castles e.g. Valprivas, Martigny, Frontenay, Alba and Poet-Laval. He has appeared at important international festivals, including Massenet (France), Mid-Europe (The Czech Republic), Bourglinster (Luxemburg), Brunswick Classix (Germany) and the Festival of Romanian Music (Romania). In 2009, he will make his debut at the Lille Piano Festival (France) and at the Enescu Festival in Romania.
Reviewing his Wigmore Hall debut in autumn 2008, Richard Whitehouse praised his "enthralling reading" during a recital "in which Eduard Stan’s pianism was at its most commanding" (Classicalsource). Featured soloist with orchestras in Germany, Austria, Italy and Romania, he performed under baton of Shinya Ozaki, Lutz Köhler, George Balan and Thomas Dorsch, among others. A sought after chamber musician revealing “a fine gift of restraint and an instinctive feel for balance” (The Strad), Eduard regularly performs with violinist Remus Azoitei, cellists Guy Johnston and Romain Garioud, viola player Carmen-Aida Soanea, as well as the string quartets Voces and Ad Libitum, Romania’s leading ensembles. His affinity for Lied accompaniment is appreciated by singers such as Britta Stallmeister, Sylvia Bleimund, Eliseda Dumitru and Johannes Gaubitz.
For the German label Hänssler Classic Eduard Stan has recorded critically acclaimed solo albums with works by J.S. Bach, Schubert, Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, Gabriel Fauré, Ravel and Debussy. An interesting CD under the title "Wasserspiele" includes piano music inspired by the water. Together with his compatriot Remus Azoitei, he recorded the entire repertoire for violin and piano by George Enescu, a world premiere released by Hänssler in two CD volumes, released by Hänssler in 2007. The American Fanfare Magazine is proposing the project as a “strong candidate for admission to the Classical Hall of Fame”, and The Strad reads: "Hänssler has done this recording proud: every detail is caught to perfection", while the International Record Review is concluding its review with: "In short, a superb disc." The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is recommending the project as a “phenomenal recording”, placing the Azoitei/Stan duo on the same level with George Enescu/Dinu Lipatti or Hephzibah and Yehudi Menuhin: “Both musicians, souvereign masters of their instruments, burst open with both panache and sensitivity in that mother tongue”. Reviewing both CDs in its February 2009 issue, the Gramophone states that the performances “all come off exceptionally well, are richly responsive and tastefully phrased”, recommending them as "a first-rate collection".
Eduard Stan has been a teacher at the Lübeck Academy of Music from 2000 to 2007. As the founder and artistic director of the Enescu-Festival Heidelberg/Mannheim, he was awarded in 2005 the Enescu Medal from the Romanian Cultural Institute for his merits as a promoter of Enescu's music.
Upcoming concerts in 2009 include an extensive tour project under the motto “Enescu-Brahms” with 15 performances in major venues such as Carnegie Hall New York (Weill Recital Hall), Konzerthaus Berlin and Vienna, Salle Cortot Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Auditorio National Madrid, Rudlofinum Prague, National Concert Hall Dublin, among others.
Eduard Stan's talent was distinguished several times on national like international level. He won prizes in Cologne (2nd prize at the International Chopin Competition of Stiftung Aschenbrenner in 1994), Braunschweig (1st prize at Grotrian-Steinweg Competition in 1985), Hamburg (Steinway & Sons 1982, 2nd prize), 1st and 2nd prizes at the Competition "Jugend musiziert" in 1984 and 1986, as well as Culture Promotion Prize of the Landkreises Lüneburg in 1985. |
