Valentin Gheorghiu

3 at the first George Enescu International Competition in 1958, with his brother Ștefan as the violinist. He made recordings with international orchestras and conductors.

• Name — Valentin Gheorghiu • Born — 21 March 1928 • Birthplace — Galați, Kingdom of Romania • Died — 17 July 2023 • Place of death — Bucharest, Romania • Resting Place — Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest • Education — * Bucharest Academy of Music • Conservatoire de Paris • Occupation — * Pianist • Composer • Organizations — * Romanian Trio • Awards — * George Enescu Prize • National Order of Faithful Service, Grand Cross class • Order of Cultural Merit, 1st class • Aristizza Romanescu Prize • Relatives — Ștefan Gheorghiu (brother)

Gheorghiu, born in Galați, Kingdom of Romania, on 21 March 1928, began to play the piano at age four. He studied first, from age seven, at the Bucharest Academy of Music, piano with Constanța Erbiceanu, theory, solfeggio, harmony, counterpoint and composition with Mihail Jora, and chamber music with Mihail Andricu. At age nine, George Enescu recommended him to the Ministry of Culture as a "rare talent, who should be carefully nurtured". He received a scholarship to study further at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1937 to 1939, piano with Lazare Lévy, theory and solfeggio with Marcelle Meyer, and harmony with Noël Gallon. He made his debut with orchestra at age 15 with the Bucharest Philharmonic conducted by George Georgescu, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1. Gheorghiu was a member of the Romanian Trio, together with his brother Ștefan Gheorghiu as the violinist and Radu Aldulescu. He and his brother won the prize for the best performance of Enescu's Violin Sonata No. 3 at the first George Enescu International Competition in 1958. Gheorgiu was first only allowed to play in Eastern European countries, but after 1957 also performed in Europe, North America, Israel, and Japan, with orchestras including the Gewandhausorchester, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Paris, with conductors including Rafael Kubelik, Kurt Masur, Seiji Ozawa, and Simon Rattle. He played Schumann's Piano Concerto at the 1963 Salzburg Festival, conducted by Georgescu. Gheorghiu has served on the juries of more than 60 international competitions. Gheorghiu was a member of the jury of more than 60 international competitions, including the Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition in Santander, and the Queen Elisabeth Competition. In 2014, he was elected corresponding member of the Romanian Academy. Gheorghiu died in Bucharest on 17 July 2023, at age 95, and was buried in the city's Bellu Cemetery.

As a pianist, Gheorghiu focused on Romantic music by composers such as Schubert, Brahms, Grieg, Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff. His wide repertoire included also music by Beethoven, as well as contemporary works by Romanian composers, such as George Enescu, Paul Constantinescu, and his own.

Gheorghiu's compositions include a piano Sonata, which was awarded the Romanian Academy's Georges Enesco Prize, a Burlesque for piano and violin, a piano trio, a cello sonata, a string quartet, Chorale and Fugue for organ and orchestra, and songs: • String Quartet, 1946 • Piano Sonata, 1946 • Symphony No. 1, 1949 • Cello Sonata, 1950 • Piano Trio, 1950 • Symphony No. 2, 1953, 1974 • Piano Concerto, 1959 • Imagini din copilarie, suite for orchestra, 1961 • Burlesque for piano and orchestra, 1964 • Chorale and Fugue for organ and orchestra