Conductor Valentin Radu approached the work with an awareness of the tone painting, the drama and even theatricality of the writing… He built relationships to challenge the mind and ear. Philadelphia Inquirer

Volcanic! A fine connoisseur of the Baroque. Die Presse, Vienna

He conducted his singers with a sure hand... The New York Times

Romanian-born conductor Valentin Radu has led numerous orchestras and vocal ensembles in Europe and the U.S., including the Hungarian National Philharmonic, Bucharest, Arad, Oradea Philharmonics, the Budapest Chamber Orchestra and the Romanian National Radio Orchestra.  He is the founder and conductor of Vox Renaissance Consort, the Ama Deus Ensemble, and Camerata Ama Deus.  He has conducted Vox in programs ranging from motets and madrigals to authentically staged Renaissance opera performed on original instruments.  He conducted the Ama Deus Ensemble in its CD recordings of Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s B Minor Mass and Magnificat, Handel’s opera Acis and Galatea and Purcell’s opera Dido & Aeneas.  Other Ama Deus CDs with Maestro Radu include A European Christmas, Handel’s Fireworks, the Vivaldi Gloria and Magnificat on Newport Classics and Glad Tidings, released on both the Time Warner and Sony Classic labels.  He also conducted Vox in A Renaissance Noel on the PolyGram label.  Most recent CDs include Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis, Handel’s Judas Maccabæus and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, all recorded live at the Kimmel Center, on the Lyrichord label.

Maestro Radu holds Doctoral and Masters degrees from the Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Bucharest Academy of Music.  In 1976, he founded and conducted Juvenes Musici chamber orchestra (under the auspices of the Bucharest Philharmonic).  In 1980 he founded The Juilliard Bach Players chamber orchestra and the Bach at Juilliard concert series at New York’s Lincoln Center.

Radu began his music studies at age four.  At age six he made his concert debut.  In 1973 he won the prestigious Rome Piano Competition and in 1979 the Saarbrucken Organ Competition.  In 1980 he won the silver medal (gold was not awarded!) at the Bach International Competition in Leipzig.  In 1996 he conducted the Bucharest Philharmonic in Handel’s Messiah and in 1997 led the Romanian National Radio Orchestra in Handel’s Acis and Galatea (both English language premieres).  In December 1997 he was awarded the Golden Apple by New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.  Beginning in 1997 he conducted Ama Deus and Maestro Dan Grigore annually in Viennese Galas in Philadelphia.  He also conducted Ama Deus in its yearly Good Friday performances at Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral Basilica in Philadelphia.  In December, 1998, he conducted the 97-member Bucharest Philharmonic in a Gershwin Centennial Gala.  In February, 1999 he was awarded the Romanian Music Critics’ Association’s 1998 “Musician of the Year” prize.  In May 1999 he was invited to participate at the historic visit to Romania of Pope John Paul II.  In November of 1999 he conducted the Arad Philharmonic in a Duke Ellington centennial concert.  Since May 2000, Maestro Radu has conducted extraordinary jazz concerts in Bucharest, with the Sound Group.

In April of 2003, Maestro Radu was bestowed the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Bucharest, by the then-mayor of his native town, who became President of Romania in 2004!  In December 2005 he was knighted with the prestigious title of “Grand Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honor” by the President of Romania.  Since 1995, Maestro Radu has been a member of the faculty and Music Director at Devon Preparatory School.  He is also the Music Director/Organist at Arch Street United Methodist Church in Philadelphia since 1994.  In 2008 he performed at a private reception in Philadelphia for former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who was bestowed the Liberty Medal!