Between the two partners of a duo, it is impossible for life not to exist, because in a duo, the partners are equal in importance. A competition is the desire of the two artists to always make real art – Suzana Szörenyi
On the first day of September, when the sun rises in the sky, one of it’s warm rays surrounded and guided Suzana Szörenyi’s spirit in the land of light and silence.
Born in Bucharest, on the 23rd of October 1929, she left to Budapest during her early childhood, where she attended elementary school and highschool in Hungarian. She studied the piano and became a member of the children’s ballet company in Hungary’s capital Opera. Because in Hungary had already begun pogrom against the Jews, she will return to his native country after she climbed alone the stairs of Budapest’s Gestapo to request her repatriation papers.
Arriving in Bucharest, she joins the newly founded Conservatory. Here, she studied the piano with the eminent Duși Mura, piano accompaniment with Dagobert Buchholz – renowned pianist and teacher, musical forms with the composer Tudor Ciortea. In parallel, she completes her high school studies in Romanian.
She started her teaching career at professor Dagobert Buchholz’s Lied class, class which she started leading in 1963. Later, after following all the stages of a teaching career, she lead the Department of Accompaniment for pianists, until 2010, when she withdrew from the professional activity.
The generations of students she formed are difficult to count and her disciples are now leaders of the artistic and pedagogical arena in Romania and abroad.
Throughout her existence, the pianist Suzana Szörenyi also had an intense artistic activity. She made her debut in 1946, giving a recital on the Romanian Athenaeum stage. Her first international success was the diploma she obtained at the 1951 International Youth and Students Festival in Berlin. Since then, she carried on her artistic career both as soloist, in concerts and recitals, and as accompanist for most valuable Romanian and foreign singers and instrumentalists. Among them are Magda Ianculescu, Dan Iordăchescu, Ladislau Konya, Pompei Hărăşteanu, Octav Enigărescu, Martha Kessler, Teodora Lucaciu, Vladimir Orlov, Irina Arhipova, Andrzej Hiolsky, Heinrich Schiff, Hilda Jerea, Cornelia Bronzetti and many, many others. Worth mentioning are her performances abroad: in France, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Bulgaria etc., either in international competitions as piano accompanist or as soloist. She had numerous appearances in the programs of the National Romanian Radio and Television.
Suzana Szörenyi’s name appears on the cover of five Electrecord records with piano works, two records covering lied repertoire, as Emilia Petrescu’s and Martha Kessler’s accompanist, and a CD produced in Japan, with Dinu Lipatti’s Romanian Dances, having Hilda Jerea as partner. The recording of Enescu’s integral creation for piano four hands, in the company of Corneliu Rădulescu, should not be left unmentioned.
Suzana Szörenyi’s activity has been acknowledged through a number of diplomas and awards, among which we mention: Ordinul Naţional Serviciu credincios în grad de Cavaler (National Order Faithful service in Knight degree) – in 2014, Diploma of Exelence of the National University of Music Bucharest, in 2013, Diploma from „Mihail Jora” Foundation. Her biografy is included in the tenth edition of the International Who’s Who in Music and Musician’s Directory.
The artist Suzana Szörenyi has impersonated both sides, that of the creator and that of the beauty lover, both throughout her professional and daily life, discovering in every moment the wonderful sides of human existence, continuously renewing herself through inextinguishable youth and curiosity: a modern being, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. More than a pianist and exceptional professor, our Lady has constantly nourished friendship in a world of no affection. God has loved all those who were touched and enlightened by her exceptional generosity. A model of dignity, Suzana Szörenyi was a Lady of changing times, guiding her life on a set of values one can seldom encounter today – dedication and total abnegation, constantly practicing discipline and auto-discipline
Steluţa Radu & Viorica Rădoi – Founding members