Biography

Born in Bucharest (Romania), Gabriela UNGUREANU started playing piano at the age of five. She began her musical studies at the “George Enescu” Music High School in Bucharest with Alma PETER-APOSTOLEANU. She then entered the “Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris” to study with Alain PLANES, Emmanuel STROSSER and Alain MEUNIER; she graduated in June 2004 by obtaing the First Prize in Piano by the unanimous agreement and congratulations of the jury. She then continued her musical training with Jean-Claude PENNETIER in the “Ecole Normale Alfred Cortot” in Paris, did also a Masters (Perfectionnement) at the “Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon”, studying with Géry Moutier.

She joined the master classes of Menahem PRESSLER, Abdel Rachman El Bacha, Anne QUEFFELEC, Brigitte ENGERER, Diane ANDERSON (Belgium), Rudolf BUCHBINDER, Karl-Heinz KAEMMERLING, also benefitting of the advices of Murray PERAHIA.

She is holder of many national and international prizes including: finalist at Vibrarte International Competition (Paris, 2009), 2nd Prize of the “J.S. Bach” International Competition in (Paris, December 2006), 1st Prize of the “Contessa Agosta” International Chamber Music Competition (Val Tidone, Italy, June 2006), Grand Prize of the “Forum Musical de Normandie”(France, December 2005), 1st Prize in the International Music Competition of Pinerolo (Italy, March 2005); 1st Prize in the “Benedetto XIII” International Piano and Chamber Music Competition in duo with the violonist Vineta Sareika (Italy, October 2004); 1st Prize and Special Prize of the Jury in the “Carl Filtsch” International Piano and Composition Competition (Sibiu, Romania, September 2002); 1st Prize in the “Concours Musical de France”, (Paris, January 2000); 1st Prize in the “XXth Century Music” Competition, (Bucharest, April 2000); 3rd Prize in the “Citta di Stresa” Music Competition (Italy, April 1998); 4th Prize in the “Jeunesses Musicales” International Music Competition (Bucharest, June 1994).

She has regularly given concerts in Romania, France, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Hungary, United Kingdom and renowed venues, such as Theatre du Chatelet, Cite de la Musique and Theatre Mogador in Paris, “Beaux-Arts” Palace in Brussels, Budapest Philarmonic, Romanian Athenee etc. She has performed in well-known festivals such as “La Roque d’Antheron”, “Diecigiornate di Brescia”, Festival de Menton, Festival des Abbayes, “Armonie sotto la roca”, Festival “Floreal” of Epinal and “Pablo Casals” Festival, also playing with musicians as Christian IVALDI, Gérard POULET, FITZWILLIAM String Quartett. Her repertoire includes a half of the Beethoven Sonatas (among them the last three and the “Hammerklavier”) but also works from the French Baroques to contemporary music (French composer Francois Rosse dedicated her several pieces for solo piano and chamber music).

In 2003 she is awarded the “Ravel” Grand Prize of the International Music Academy in Saint-Jean-de-Luz; in June 2006 she became laureate of the “Banques Populaires” Foundation. She recorded for the Romanian National Radio Station, several television programs in Romania and recently broadcasted for France Musiques. Her first record, "Harmonies d'un soir", in duet with Aurélie Samani was released in June 2012.

Designed by Iulia Ungureanu