A 1st Prize Winner of the Young Concert Artists Award in New York in 2003, the Romanian cellist Laura Buruiana is quickly establishing a reputation worldwide as "a bonafide virtuoso, drawing a wealth of colour, drama, and flowing line from her instrument" (The New York Times).

She performed as a soloist with the Berliner Symphoniker, the Bari Symphony, as well as the Berlin Chamber Orchestra or the Shanghai Orchestra. In 2005, she made her debut at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest. Furthermore, she performed with all major orchestras in Romania, besides other orchestras in Germany, under the baton of conductors such as Oliver von Dohnányi, Gerhard Zimmermann, Lorenzo Muti, Chen Xiaochen, Song Kyu Ryu, Remus Georgescu and Dorel Pascu, among others.

Together with fellow musician Eduard Stan, Laura is very much in demand as a recitalist and chamber musician at international festivals and major concert venues. She has already toured extensively the US and Europe. She has recorded CDs for the Naxos (the two Enescu sonatas) and Toccata (works by Vieru and Enescu) labels, as well as for the German and Romanian broadcast. Her repertoire includes all the major cello concerti and duo works, besides a large range of chamber music and many works of Romanian composers. Laura is pursuing her PHD at the National University of Music in Bucharest, where she also holds a teaching position since 2007.

Hailed as an "enormously sensitive pianist with an extraordinary flexible culture of touch, perfect technique as well as a great understanding of music" by the German "Weserkurier", Romanian-born Eduard Stan has received international acclaim. He has performed across Europe and the US. A top prize-winner of international competitions, he appeared at numerous festivals. 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.

Eduard Stan's critically acclaimed Solo-CDs for Hänssler Classic range from Bach to Debussy. Together with his compatriot Remus Azoitei, he recorded the entire repertoire for violin and piano by George Enescu, a world premiere project coming in two CD volumes, released by Hänssler in 2007.

He has been a teacher at the Lübeck Academy of Music from 2000-2007. 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. Future projects in 2008 will include debuts at the Wigmore Hall London, at the Great Hall of the Romanian Atheneum in Bucharest (Romania's most important concert venue), and in Oxford, among others.

Eduard Stan performed at the opening gala of the Enescu Society in June 2007.

Programme:
Paul Constantinescu, Free Variations on a Byzantine Theme
Claude Debussy, Sonata
Ludwig van Beethoven, Sonata in D Major op. 102/2
George Enescu, Sonata in F Minor
Johannes Brahms, Sonata in F Major op. 99

About the concert

The Enescu Society Concert Season runs from October to June, on the first Thursday of each month. The concert stage of the Institute will host outstanding musicians performing George Enescu's music alongside an international repertoire.

The Enescu Society is a project of the Romanian Cultural Institute under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Margarita of Romania.

When: Thursday, 1 May 2008, 7.00-9.00 pm;
Where: Romanian Cultural Institute, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X8PH
Admission is free but places are limited. Early booking is well recommended.
Please reserve your seats at T: 0207 752 0134, E: office@icr-london.co.uk.
Latecomers will be able to go to their seats in the interval.