2025 Radda Rise International Piano Competition
David Alecsandru Irimescu
Honorable Mention
•Category 4
Known for his “transcendental pianism” and “big conquering musical abilities,” David Irimescu is an Italian-Romanian pianist and pedagogue whose artistry has been recognized with over 45 national and international prizes. He was the winner of Amadeus Factory, Italy’s only classical music talent competition produced by Sky TV in collaboration with Amadeus magazine.
Irimescu has performed extensively across Europe and the United States to both public and critical acclaim. His appearances span solo recitals, chamber collaborations, and concerto performances with orchestras. Highlights include his featured performances with the Italian National Musical High School Orchestra and the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory Orchestra, where he opened the season with Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and was awarded a special scholarship as the Conservatory’s top piano student.
Irimescu has studied with a long list of esteemed pianists and pedagogues in masterclasses and private lessons, including Philippe Entremont, Joaquín Achúcarro, Michel Béroff, Benedetto Lupo, Claudio Voghera, Enrico Pace, Alexander Gadjiev, and Noam Sivan (for piano improvisation), among many others.
In 2018, a health setback led him to temporarily pause his performance career and undertake a deep study into the physiological and psychological well-being of musicians. Drawing from disciplines such as the Feldenkrais Method, the Taubman Approach, posturology, mindfulness, kinesiology, and sound therapy, he developed a holistic approach to teaching and performance that emphasizes injury prevention, self-awareness, and expressive freedom. This period of rehabilitation gave rise to his passion for teaching and sharing knowledge to support the sustainable growth of other musicians.
Since returning to the stage in 2023, Irimescu has earned renewed recognition, graduating with top honors cum laude and a special mention from the Turin Conservatory under Claudio Voghera. That same year, he won the Bacewicz International Prize at the Penderecki Institute in Kraków and began a collaboration with the Unione Musicale in Turin. His accomplishments continued into 2024, when he received a scholarship as the Conservatory’s best student and was granted a scholarship to participate in an international project at the University of Georgia (USA) under the class of Alan Woo. He was also accepted into the Advanced Piano Course with Enrico Pace at the Accademia di Pinerolo and the Rossetti Academy in Lugano with Vovka Ashkenazy. David is a scholarship recipient of Regione Piemonte, Fondazione Cecilia Gilardi, and De Sono Associazione per la Musica. Additional distinctions in 2024 include the Progetto Musica Scholarship awarded by Gloria Campaner, selection by Alexander Gadjiev to perform at his festival Sconfinamenti, the Sunrise Prize from Vercellotti and Camerata Ducale, and 20 more competition and festival awards.
Outside of performance, Irimescu is deeply committed to music education and somatic wellness. He has been appointed by the “Cavour” Music High School in Turin to teach a specialized preparatory course for Conservatory entrance exams. He also leads seminars on listening and musical awareness, helping audiences and students alike to engage more deeply with music as a path to emotional and physical well-being.