Catalin Serban

Pianist Cătălin Șerban specializes in Romantic and Post-Romantic music, often juxtaposing works in unusual ways. In addition to playing solo, he is active as a chamber musician and as an educator. Șerban was born in Bucharest, Romania. He took up the piano at age six, showed talent, and soon enrolled at the George Enescu Music High School in Bucharest. Even before beginning his university education in Germany, he won several prizes in Romania and internationally, including the Senigallia Piano Competition in Italy and the Bremen Piano Competition in Germany. His studies in Germany were aided by scholarships from the Berlin University of the Arts, the Paul Hindemith Society Berlin, and the Marie-Luise-Imbusch Foundation Lübeck. At the Berlin University of the Arts, he studied with Martin Hughes and László Simon, and he also took courses at the Hochschule für Musik Lübeck with Konrad Esler. Șerban rounded off his education with master classes from Claude Frank, György Sebök, Pascal Devoyon, and others. Șerban has stayed on in Germany but also performs in Romania. He released his first album, Des cloches sonores, on the Dreyer Gaido label in 2018. Șerban has performed as a soloist or recitalist at such major venues as the Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Berlin Konzerthau, and the Bucharest Athenaeum. He is quite active as a chamber music player, having appeared in that capacity at major festivals, including the Beethoven Festival in Bonn, the Brahms Festival in Lübeck, and the Oberstdorf Music Summer. Moreover, Șerban is the founder of the Spielende Insel ("Performing Island") festival held on the German island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea; the festival pairs experienced musicians with up-and-comers. Șerban issued the album Resemblances on the Genuin label in 2022 and moved to Naxos in 2024 for the chamber album Mélodies Infinies: Fauré, Enescu.
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