Festivalul Tinerelor Talente Mihaela Ursuleasa

MIHAELA URSULEASA
Piano

“In a world where virtuoso young pianists often sacrifice musicality for flashiness, Romanian-born Ursuleasa is a class act” (Debut, Minnesota Orchestra)

The unique combination of vivacious playing, highest technical finesse and lyrical talent heralds Mihaela Ursuleasa as one of today’s remarkable pianists of her generation. Aptly reflected in a review of her debut with the Bournemouth Symphony in Spring 2003, of her Grieg concerto the critic noted, “…a propensity for pounding virtuosity, but tamed with explicit technical mastery”. Her musical views are sometimes provocative, and mirror the dynamic spark of her exceptional technique at the keyboard.

Mihaela Ursuleasa was born in Brasov, Romania in 1978. At the age of seven she had already given several public concerts and as a young teenager won second prize at the International Piano Competition in Senigallia. Upon the advice of Claudio Abbado, Mihaela Ursuleasa went to study with Prof. Heinz Medjimorec at the Vienna Conservatory. She reaped the fruits of this decision in 1995, when she won the Clara Haskil Competition aged 16. Alongside further study, carefully selected engagements followed: Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto under Claudio Abbado in Vienna, Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor at the International Festival in St. Petersburg, Chopin's Piano Concerto in F minor in Hanover and Munich, as well as several recitals in Rome, Frankfurt, Vienna, Davos and at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. In June 1999, she graduated with a diploma cum laude.

Mihaela Ursuleasa is now regularly re-invited after debut engagements, which for the 2004/05 season has included a return to the Rotterdam Philharmonic under Hans Graf, and to the Bournemouth Symphony under Kees Bakels. The same season she gave her concerto debut with Sir Colin Davis and the Orchestre National de France in Paris performing Mozart and her debut with the Philharmonia London performing Beethoven’s Tripelconcerto. Her first collaboration with Marek Janowski led to several reinvitations both to the Orchestre de Monte Carlo and to the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

Mihaela Ursuleasa has made significant debuts with the Concertgebouw under the direction of Kurt Sanderling playing Mozart, her Salzburg debut with the Mozarteum Orchestra also performing Mozart, her US concerto debut performing Ravel with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Hugh Wolff, and her first tour in Germany with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie under Paavo Järvi. Performances with Bamberg Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, and, in the US with the Cincinnati and Minnesota orchestras under the direction of Paavo Järvi and Osmo Vänska have followed. Ursuleasa has additionally toured Germany with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Sir Neville Marriner, and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra with Neeme Järvi.

Her often-noted poetic qualities at the keyboard, and great emotional depth have impressed audiences no less in recital. She has appeared on various young artists' series worldwide giving recitals in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Philharmonie Cologne, Konzerthaus Vienna, Tonhalle Zürich and Carnegie Hall in New York. Mihaela Ursuleasa made her London recital debut with brilliant success in London in the Harrods International Piano Series at the South Bank Centre and returned in Spring 2004 making an impressive debut at the Wigmore Hall. She

also performs recitals again in Cologne’s Philharmonie and she recently performed in Manchester.

Currently resident in Vienna, this important musical capital has provided a significant platform for this engaging artist. For the season 2005/2006 she is invited to play a recital at the Musikverein and will perform Bartok’s 3. piano concerto with the Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra in January 2006 there.
As an ardent chamber musician, she performs frequently with various partners. In the summer of 2005 she appears at the Carinthischer Sommer, the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, the Festival International de Radio France and the Klavierfest Ruhr. She has recently been a guest artist at the International Chamber Music Festival in Stavanger, Lars Vogt’s festival “Spannungen” in Heimbach, the Marlboro Music Festival in the USA.