Andrei Bio

Romania

Birth

05/10/1985

Andrei Ion Lacustra was born in Bucharest, Romania to Camelia and Anton Lacustra in the Elias Emergency University Hospital at 8:32AM.

Family defects to U.S.

11/22/1987

When Andrei was only 2 years and 6 months old, his father defected to the United States. It is because of this that he has no memory of Romania from childhood.

Fairfax,Virginia

Andrei is given his first violin

05/10/1988

On Andrei's third birthday his mother gives him a violin. By this time he had already been listening to classical music each day and fiddled with his mother's violin.

Family became legal citizens

12/22/1988

At this time his family was accepted for permanent citizenship. Upon learning this, his father decided to advance himself, and moved the family to Charlottesville, Virginia.

Charlottesville, Virginia

Andrei begins violin lessons

03/03/1989

Andrei began taking weekly private classes at the Charlottesville Music Education Center with Jacob Burton, a highly talented and successful violinist who played for the Munich Philharmonic. Alongside this training, he was made to practice at least an hour a day at home.

Andrei begins going to the Covenant School for Pre-K

08/28/1989

A Christian Private school offering the best in education. There he studied Spanish and extended his violin training as well as began playing the piano.

Andrei begins displaying signs of illness

1/1/1990

Camelia begins to notice that Andrei becomes ill quite often, and takes note of his physical health. He is a weak child, less exuberant than his peers. His parents took him to numerous doctors but no cause was stated; they inferred that he simply had a weak immune system. This continued into his early teens.

Starts Kindergarten

08/27/1990

At this point he's signed up for various after-school activities, chess and piano. He still attends the Covenant School.

New York

The family moves to New York

5/30/1991

After Andrei's final day of school, him and his family move to 200 Riverside Blvd on the Upper West Side due to his father's new job at JP Morgan as Investment Associate

Andrei auditions for Julliard

06/15/1991

By his mother's instance, just weeks after moving to New York, Andrei auditions for the violin. For the violin he played the 1st movement of Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in A minor.

Andrei is accepted to Julliard

07/01/1991

Andrei starts 1st grade

09/02/1991

Although his parents aren't pleased with him going to a public school, Andrei attends P.S. 9 Sarah Anderson while his parents work on the admissions process for private schools. He studies chess and Spanish.

Andrei begins training at Julliard

09/08/1991 - 05/11/1992

Every Saturday he attends his mandated classes. However, he isn't able to take outside lessons, so his mother sets him up for private tutoring with one of his teachers, Catherine Chang.

Andrei performs his first recital

01/18/1992

With his class, Andrei is given the solo lead in the recital. There would be four more performances between now and April, and he would solo in every one.

Andrei performs before the jury

04/25/1992

His performance goes over well and he is welcomed back for next semester.

Andrei attends a four day violin program

06/25/1992 - 06/29/1992

At Berklee College, Andrei attends the four-day intensive program. His mother rents a hotel room and stays with him through the program.

Andrei attends 5-day violin program

07/08/1992 - 07/13/1992

At Bard College, Andrei, with his mother, attends a five day intensive violin workshop. He is chosen once again as the lead at the final day recital.

2nd year at Julliard

08/08/1992 - 05/16/1993

He stay with his instructor Catherine Chang for private lessons and attends classes each Saturday. Due to the dean's insistence he is given advanced classes.

2nd grade

09/07/1992 - 06/18/1993

His parents decide to leave him in P.S. 9 Sarah Anderson until fourth grade, while the continue to get him into private school. He is quite happy at PS 9 and did not want to leave, that also influenced their decision.

Andrei wins first place in the American Protege International Competition

03/14/1993

In the 6-10 year age category, Andrei took home first place when he played Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, third movement.

Winner's Concert at Carnegie Hall

05/2/1993

At a Gala performance, Andrei performed his winner's concert for the American Protege International Competition for Strings and Piano, playing Tarantella by Wieniawski, he received a standing ovation.

Andrei attends camp

06/23/1993 - 07/20/1993

He is placed within the advanced Strings program at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp. He is very homesick and became ill while at camp a number of times. At the end of camp he won first place at the Concerto and Honors Recital Competition, playing Paganini's Concerto no.1 for Violin in D major .op.6.

3rd grade

09/06/1993 - 06/03/1994

Once again at PS 9. He still studies Spanish and chess after school.

3rd Year at Julliard

09/11/1993 - 05/14/1994

Andrei begins courses at Julliard. Remains with Catherine Chang. Plays the commencement and is given the solo.