Lenuța Ciulei

Romanian-born (1960) violinist debuted in the early 70's under the performing name of Liliana Ciulei - she later started using her real name Lenuța Ciulei. She studied at the Bucharest Conservatory and was a 1976 winner of the International Paganini Violin Competition at 16 years. She began learning the violin from a young age and gave her public debut performance when she was eleven years old. When she was 16 she gave a performance of Paganini’s Concerto No. 1 in D major with the World Youth Symphony in Michigan. After graduating in Bucharest in 1981 she moved to the United States and studied with Ruggiero Ricci. In US became a member of the Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Was married with romanian cellist George Atanasiu Currently a member of the violin faculty at both Rutgers and Rowan Universities in New Jersey, in addition to giving masterclasses throughout Europe and the United States.