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ALEXANDER PANKU:
Our East Coast Classical Piano Music
Editor
Biography
Alexander Panku has been widely
recognized as a compelling musical
personality. He has been active as a
concert pianist, teacher, composer
and organist for many years. Born in
Bucharest, Romania, he studied at
the George Enescu Music School and
the Bucharest Conservatory of Music
with distinguished artists teachers.
He was the winner of the “Beethoven”
competition at the Music School. He
made his recital debut at the age of
fourteen and the concerto debut at
seventeen with the Beethoven
Concerto No. 1, at the prestigious
Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. One
year later he played the Mozart
Concerto K. 450 at the Radio-TV
Hall, which was televised. During
the summers of 1972 through 1976 he
studied at the “Mozarteum” in
Salzburg with renowned
pianist-conductor Carlo Zecchi. He
studied briefly with Nadia Boulanger
in Paris and obtained a scholarship
to study at the Neufchatel
Conservatory in Switzerland. He
continued his studies in the United
States at Temple University and
graduated with “Magna Cum Laude”,
winning the Concerto Competition
with the Beethoven “Emperor”
Concerto in 1981. Also he obtained a
scholarship from the Musical Fund
Society of Philadelphia, and was
elected Who's Who Among Students
(1980-81).
Mr. Panku has been playing solo,
orchestral, and chamber music
concerts for more than thirty years
both in Romania and in the United
States. His repertoire, rooted in
the Classical and Romantic genres,
ranges from Bach and Scarlatti to
Schonberg, Prokofiev and other
modern composers and includes his
own compositions. He has been on the
piano faculty at several
institutions, such as Temple
University, Settlement Music School,
Academy of Community Music and Bryn
Mawr Conservatory.
He has been teaching piano since
1979 and has been on the Piano
Faculty at several institutions,
such as Temple University,
Settlement Music School, Academy of
Community Music and Bryn Mawr
Conservatory. Also he has taught
many private students of all ages
and all levels. He holds a Doctorate
Degree in Piano Performance from
Temple University where he studied
with Mr. Harvey Wedeen,
distinguished artist-teacher.
Following recital appearances in
Philadelphia, The Philadelphia
Inquirer writes: “This was a
thoughtful and introspective “Waldstein”,
yet one which, despite freely
changing tempos, was very carefully
controlled. His performances have
received critical acclaim and he has
been described as “a definitive
performer, reflecting much of the
soul-searching, training, and
refining concepts of artistic
identity within a deep and mature
talent that he has.”
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