Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
(Former Concertmaster)
Born in Craiova, Liviu Prunaru began studying the violin at the age of six, quickly winning numerous national and international competitions. His artistic training reached excellence under the guidance of Alberto Lysy at the Menuhin Academy in Gstaad, where he collaborated with renowned violinists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Igor Oistrakh, and Ruggiero Ricci. He later completed his studies in New York with Dorothy DeLay and Itzhak Perlman. International recognition came through awards won at leading competitions, including gold medals at the Dong-A in South Korea, Rodolfo Lipizer in Italy, and Molinari in Switzerland, as well as silver medals at Indianapolis in the USA and Queen Elisabeth in Brussels.
His solo career has taken him to the world’s greatest stages, performing with elite ensembles such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Belgian National Orchestra, under the baton of conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, and Daniele Gatti.
In September 2006, Liviu Prunaru became Concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, a position he held for 18 years, playing a 1694 Stradivarius Pachoud violin. He also led the Menuhin Academy in Switzerland as music director (2010-2012).
His extensive discography includes Saint-Saëns’ concertos, the complete sonatas of Beethoven and Grieg, as well as works by Vivaldi and Dvořák. Since 2025, the artist has focused on teaching at festivals such as Verbier and on major solo projects. Liviu Prunaru is also a regular member of the juries of the world’s most important violin competitions.