Radu Ratoi started accordion at the age of 6 and his stage career started already at 7, being on stage for concerts and contests.
He attended “Alexei Starcea” School of Arts in his hometown, Chisinau, in the Republic of Moldova, afterwards he continued his undergraduate studies at the Centre of Excellence in Artistic Education “Stefan Neaga”. Being still in Moldova, he started to participate in international well-known competitions. At 18 years old, he won most of them in Junior categories, such as Coupe Mondiale, Trophy Mondiale, Castelfidardo , etc. He won these competitions both in Classical Music categories and in Virtuoso/Entertainment Music categories, being the first who achieved both these titles. In 2018 he got the “Excellence Diploma” from the President of the Republic of Moldova.
Next step was “The Royal Danish Academy of Music” in Copenhagen, where he won the Soning Music Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in Denmark.
Between 2018 to 2020, he won the 6 most important competitions in the world – Coupe Mondiale, Klinghenthal Accordion Competition, Trophy Mondiale, Arrasate Accordion Competition, PIF Castelfidardo, and Moscow Accordion Competition. In total, until now he won more than 60 national and international awards.
With his transcriptions of J.S.Bach, D.Scarlatti, J.P.Rameau, F.Liszt and many more, he reinvented and improved the accordion repertoire.
Praised for his originality, versatility, virtuosity in the Classical and contemporary repertoire, he won the Art Award in the Republic of Moldova “Master in Arts”. In 2022 he received the renowed Moldavian National Distinction “Master in Arts” offered by the President of Republic Moldova. What makes him unique, is the way he combines two important musical traditions: the Russian school, and the West European school, melting them in a very personal style.
Radu released his accordion CD “Greatest Organ Works arranged for Accordion” in 2022, recording pieces by J.S.Bach and F.Liszt.
Playing solo and chamber, having collaborations with various artists and orchestras, Radu is giving unbelievable concerts worldwide, attracting the public with his musicality, technique and charisma.
Since 2024, Radu was appointed as a soloist with The National Chamber Orchestra of Moldova.
In his stellar career as soloist he performed in some of the most important concert halls in the world: Berlin Philharmonic, Radio Concert House Copenhagen, Victoria Concert Hall, Tivoli Hall Copenhagen, Aram Khachaturian’s Concert Hall in Yerevan, Harbin Concert Hall and many others.
