Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, Austria.
The 33-year-old international musician was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, where she had lived since studying in the city.
A statement on Mihaela Ursuleasa’s website said: “We have not only lost a wonderful person but one of the greatest artists our musical world has known.”
The artist is survived by a five-year-old daughter, according to Arts Journal.
The arts website said several reports blamed her death on a brain haemorrhage.
Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, Austria
The message on Mihaela Ursuleasa’s own website continued: “We are in deep sorrow because of her sudden unexpected death. Our thoughts are with her daughter and her mother.”
Mihaela Ursuleasa had been due to play with the National Youth Orchestra on Wednesday in Bucharest and on Saturday in Berlin.
She was born in Brasov, Romania and began her career at the early age of five, before making the decision to withdraw from the stage in 1990 to concentrate on studying in Vienna.
Her “rare combination of vivacity and technical mastery” meant she went on to win the highly acclaimed Clara Haskil Competition in 1995.
Her online biography from EAS Music Management said she was “one of the most remarkable pianists of her generation”.
Mihaela Ursuleasa performed at world renowned venues such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Philharmonie Cologne, Konzerthaus Vienna, Tonhalle Zurich and in the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York.
She had also been welcomed as a guest soloist by orchestras such as the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, Mozarteum Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
In 2010, her debut solo album, Piano & Forte won the ECHO Klassik award for Solo Recording of the Year.
Mihaela Ursuleasa’ second solo album Romanian Rhapsody was released in March 2011.
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Kurt Masur, the former principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is recovering in hospital after falling off the stage at a concert in Paris.
Kurt Masur, 84, lost his balance while conducting the National Orchestra of France on Thursday night.
According to the orchestra’s website, Kurt Masur is expected to be released soon.
France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has sent his best wishes to the German-born conductor, calling him a “legendary musician”.
Kurt Masur served as the principal conductor of the London Philharmonic between 2000 and 2007, after which he became honorary musical director at the Paris-based National Orchestra of France.
He celebrated his 80th birthday at the Proms in 2007 by leading both orchestras in Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony.
Kurt Masur, 84, lost his balance while conducting the National Orchestra of France on Thursday night
The London Philharmonic said the orchestra was “very concerned” to hear about his accident and wished Kurt Masur “a speedy and full recovery”.
“During his legendary tenure as Principal Conductor, his concerts were always occasions of incredibly high quality music-making,” it said.
Prior to Thursday’s accident, Kurt Masur had been conducting Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony and Shostakovich’s Symphony No 1.
A spokeswoman said he fell backwards some 1.5 metres into the front row of the audience at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees.
Kurt Masur was not found to have suffered any serious injuries.
“After a reassuring in-depth examination, [Kurt Masur] is resting in hospital,” the orchestra said in a statement. “He took a few steps this morning and is expected to leave hospital soon.”
Born in 1927 in what was then the German province of Silesia – now Brzeg in Poland – Kurt Masur studied piano and cello before becoming a conductor.
Kurt Masur served as conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra from 1955 to 1958 and again from 1967 to 1972.
In 1970 he was appointed music director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, a position he held for 26 years before being named the orchestra’s first conductor laureate.
While there Kurt Masur played a central role in the peaceful protests in Leipzig that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and attracted worldwide attention for the impact of his leadership.
He later moved to the US, where he became music director of the New York Philharmonic in 1991.
Kurt masur’s accolades include the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, awarded in 1995, and his being named Commander of the Legion of Honour in France in 1997.
That rank was upgraded to Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour 10 years later.
In his statement, President Sarkozy praised Kurt Masur for his “historic role” in reconciling East and West Germany.
