Laura Buruiană
Born in Bucharest in 1980, Laura Buruiana started playing the cello at the age of ten and studied from 1999 to 2004 with Prof. Vasile Tugui and Marin Cazacu. Further studies from 2004 with Prof. Frans Helmerson at the Cologne University of Music lead to her Master Degree in 2007. While taking part in master classes in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Romania, she also benefited from the advice of famous cellists. A 1st Prize Winner of the Young Concert Artists Award in New York in 2003, which was additionally garnished with five special prizes, the Romanian cellist Laura Buruiana is quickly establishing a reputation worldwide as “a bonafide virtuoso, drawing a wealth of color, drama, and flowing line from her instrument” (The New York Times) in performances where “one might guess she would also be a very fine singer. She embraces her instrument as an extension of her own body, personifying a lyricism that was fitting for an instrument whose timbre is o close to that of the human voice.” (Washington Post).The same year, Laura also won the 1st Prize of the Premio Arturo Bonucci Competition in Rome.
As a soloist, Laura performed the 1st Shostakovich concerto in the Berlin Philharmonie together with the Berliner Symphoniker, the Dvořák concerto with the Bari Symphony while touring Italy, as well as Bach’s A Minor Concerto at the Rheingau Music Festival (Germany) with the Berlin Chamber Orchestra, in 2006. She also played with the Shanghai Orchestra in the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Under the aegis of Young Euro Classics in Berlin, she has been the soloist in the 1st cello concerto of the Romanian composer Anatol Vieru.
In 2005, she made her debut at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest, taking over the cello solo part in Paul Constantinescu’s Triple Concerto and was invited for a recital at the same festival in 2007. Furthermore, she performed with all major orchestras in Romania, besides other orchestras in Europe, USA and Asia under the baton of conductors such as Oliver von Dohnányi, Gerhard Zimmermann, Cristian Mandeal, Horia Andreescu, Lorenzo Muti, Dorel Pascu, among others.Due to her great success at the New York competition, she has already toured extensively the USA, including concerts at Kennedy Center Washington, Kaufmann Hall New York, Boston, Merkin Hall New York, Pittsburgh, in Virginia, Connecticut, Ohio as well as at the Mostly Tchaikowsky Festival in Pella. Other venues and festivals in Europe included the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Diligentia Theatre The Hague and the Holland Music Sessions in the Netherlands, the Spoleto Festival and venues in Rome, Milan and Venice (UNESCO gala) in Italy, Fontainebleau Castle and the “Rencontres Franco-Roumaines” in France, the festivals at Santander and Toroella de Montgri in Spain, the Glyptotek Copenhagen, Salle de concert des Invalides in Paris, Salle Flagey in Brussels and the Bruno Walter Society in Luxemburg. In Germany, Laura appeared repeatedly at the Usedom Festival, the Konzerthaus Berlin, at the EXPO 2000 in Hanover and the Saarbrucken festival. In 2004, she performed twice the complete Beethoven sonatas.
Some critics for the Naxos CD: “This Naxos album features cellist Laura Buruiana and pianist Martin Tchiba in what could be a reference recording of these sonatas. Buruiana’s playing is technically brilliant, with spot-on intonation, sweeping musical gestures, and a clear understanding of the score and how her part dialogues with the piano. Likewise, Tchiba is a elegant pianist who produces a wealth of colors which are so necessary in the frequently changing tonal environment of the Second Sonata” (Mikel D. Brownell, All Music Magazine)“Cellist Laura Buruiana and pianist Martin Tchiba made one of the most remarkable CDs of the year” (Holger Hettinger (Deutschlandradio Kultur).
In 2012 she released her second CD for the label Zig-Zag Territoires: “Enescu – trios with piano” together with violinist Satenik Khourdoian and pianist Mara Dobresco with whom she formed the Trio Brancusi, CD which is a choice of France Musique for 2012 and received 5 diapasons. Together with pianist Matei Varga she has released her third album for Coviello Classics which includes the two famous cello sonatas by J Brahms. In 2013, Laura Buruiana is prepearing to release two more Cds with pianist Ferenc Vizi (F. Mendelssohn – Bartoldy – “Sonatas and variations concertantes for cello and piano”) and with Ana Bondue (J. S. Bach – “Sonatas for cello and piano/viola da gamba and hapsichord”), both released at the label Coviello Classics. As well, she will have concerts together with Trio Brancusi, Trio ALA, pianists Ferenc Vizi and Ana Bondue, soprano Adriana Epstein…
Official website here.