Pianist Catalin Serban captivates audiences with refined expression, tonal transparency and profound emotional presence. His interpretations combine poetic intensity with a sense of narrative and form.
As a soloist and chamber musician, he explores a repertoire that seeks dialogue between tradition and rediscovery, revealing the multi-layered depth of musical expression.
Serban displayed enormous brilliance and unpretentious virtuosity. His playing possessed noble clarity, precision and inward reflection.“
Badische Zeitung
As founder and artistic director of the chamber music project Spielende Insel, which he leads together with cellist Andrei Ioniță, Serban creates a space where music, art and human connection intertwine. The festival’s concept unites classical repertoire with contemporary and rediscovered voices – a platform for artistic curiosity, freedom and exchange.
The upcoming edition of Spielende Insel will take place in Berlin (Kühlhaus Berlin, St. Matthäus Church, and Villa Elisabeth), presenting music born from silence, renewal and creative resistance. With a distinguished international line-up, the festival continues to explore the relationship between sound, history and artistic freedom, accompanied by visual works from Kristina Weiss and Enikö Márton.
Beginning in 2026, Catalin Serban will also serve as artistic director of the new Berlin concert series Musik bildet, initiated by Konzertleben e.V. at the Max Planck Institute. The series brings together outstanding young award-winners and renowned artists, fostering exchange, mentorship and artistic growth.
A forthcoming solo album will feature Rachmaninov’s Études-Tableaux Op. 39 and Ravel’s Miroirs – a dialogue of sonic imagination, virtuosity and poetic vision.
