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 Mindru Katz was born in Bucharest Romania, on June 3rd,1925. He started playing the piano at the age of four. At that age he was discovered, as a child prodigy, by the famous Romanian-French composer, violinist and pianist Georges Enesco, who became his mentor.

 Enesco was so impressed by Mindru Katz’s talent that he recommended little Mindru, to be taught by the famous Romanian piano teacher, Florica Musicescu, who used to teach mature artists, like the famous pianist Dinu Lipatti. At Maestro Enesco’s recommendation, Mrs. Musicescu complied and accepted young Mindru as her exceptionally student, at the age of four.

 At the age of six, under the recommendations of Enesco and Musicescu, Mindru Katz was admitted at the Bucharest Royal Academy of Music. His studies at the academy, included: composing, conducting and the piano class under the guidance of Mrs. Florica Musicescu. He graduated this famous Royal Academy, with distinction and First Class Honors.

 

His debut as a concert pianist was in 1947, at the Romanian Bucharest Athenaeum, with the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by George Georgescu. He played the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1, with a huge success and a unanimous praise and glory by the critics.

 The resounding success of this performance and those successes that followed, lead to an international career in the five continents of the globe. This world career, started off with a series of triumphal concerts in Eastern Europe. The Eastern Europe tour included: Prague, Budapest, Moscow Warsaw, and more. The public and the critics, in those countries, were ecstatic and enthralled by Mindru Katz’s performance and the Russians recorded the first LP piano recital record of Mindru Katz, in Moscow.

In 1951, Mindru Katz won the Berlin, Prague and Warsaw Piano Competitions.

In 1953, he was given the title of the higher rank artist in Romania (“Artist Emerit”) and in 1954, Mindru Katz was awarded, the higher artistic prize, of the Romanian Republic.

 

His concert debut in the West was in 1957, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, at the Albert Hall, in London. It was a tremendous success expressed by the public and the critics, described in the press as “…dazzling...”, “…Hail to Mindru Katz, one of the keyboard masters of our time…”, “…admirable musicianship and impeccable performance…” and more. Broadcast TV and further concert appearances soon followed this achievement.

 Ever since, he is considered among the most brilliant pianists of his generation – endowed with a magnificent sense of color and a dazzling technique.

 

Mindru Katz appeared in the most famous concert halls and music centers all over the world and performed in the most countries of the five continents. He was often invited to play at the most important Music Festivals round the globe and to be in the jury of various International Piano Competitions, like Leeds in the UK, Arthur Rubinstein in Israel and so on.

 Mindru Katz went on concert tours around the world, in the USA, Europe, South Africa, Asia (including the far east, i.e. Hong Kong, New Zealand, Japan, etc.) and Australia. He performed with the most well known orchestras and appeared with the most famous conductors.

 

Mindru Katz’s live public appearances and live studio performances, were recorded by important Radio & TV Stations, amongst others: The BBC(where he was honored in 1969, as the ‘Artist Of The Month’), ABC, SABC, NBC, TRT and others.

In his short life, Mindru Katz Recorded for PYE RCORDS (EMI of today) in London, 7 records:

Four LP Records of Piano Recitals, including a full Chopin Piano Recital Record and Three Piano Concertos Records including a record of the Beethoven 5th Piano Concerto, with The Halle Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli, Khachaturian and Prokofiev Piano Concertos, with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult and Bach Piano Concertos Record with The Pro Arte Orchestra, conducted by Harry Newstone. All the above recordings, were digitally remastered on CDs, by EMI and PRT.

 All those recordings, were and are highly appreciated, by the public audiences, the critics and the Gramophone Magazine in London.

 

On January 30th, 1978 at the age of 52(8) years old, while performing the Beethoven Piano Sonata op. 31 nr. 2 ('Tempest'), during a piano recital in Istanbul Turkey, Mindru Katz had a Severe Heart Attack. He collapsed on the piano and died on the stage, in front of the stunned audiences.