Mentioned by Gramophone as "a stunningly original pianist with musical insight and maturity comparable to colleagues twice his age", Cristian Budu has already established himself internationally as a reference in the new generation of classical music. The most honorable recommendation that Cristian has ever received came from Nelson Freire himself who, in his last interview, said he believed that Cristian would be his successor.

Winner of the Clara Haskil International Competition - the most important achievement by a Brazilian classical pianist in the last 30 years on the international circuit - Cristian Budu also won awards such as Instrumentalist of the Year (APCA), Best Concert of the Year (Guia da Folha), and on Gramophone, entered the “Top 10 Recent Beethoven Recordings” and “Top 10 Chopin Recordings” lists, which includes recordings by Martha Argerich, Arthur Rubinstein, Maria João Pires, Dinu Lipatti and Murray Perahia. Still on Gramophone, Cristian also entered the list “Top 50 Greatest Chopin Recordings”, which brings together 50 of the most anthological interpretations of Chopin in History.

Recent concerts and invitations include duos with Renaud Capuçon and Antonio Meneses, chamber music with musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, concerts with the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, and solo recitals at the Verbier Festival and La Roque D'Antheron Piano Festival. He has performed solo with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Orquestre de la Suisse Romande, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, and at venues such as Jordan Hall, Liederhalle, KKL, LAC Lugano and Athenaeum Bucharest.

His latest solo CD received prizes such as "Editor's Choice" in England and "5-Diapasons" in France. In the USA, he was part of a Brazilian music quartet that won the Honors Competition of NEC in Boston, and in Brazil, he is the creator of the project Pianosofia, in partnership with Sociedade Cultura Artística and Arone Pianos in São Paulo, and Vianna Pianos in Belo Horizonte, with the intention of democratizing access to classical music through soirées in unusual houses and environments. Cristian has also made several partnerships with social projects such as Projeto Integração and Liga Solidária, and is now part of the Volunteer Council of Projeto Casulo.

Cristian has an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory of Boston under the guidance of Wha-Kyung Byun, and there he had the chance to also have lessons with Russell Sherman. 

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