Anca Lupes – From Passion to Leadership in the Romanian Music Industry

Anca Lupes, a visionary leader in the Romanian music industry and founder of the Mastering The Music Business conference, shares her journey, leadership insights, and views on music education.

Anca Lupes is one of the most experienced professionals in the Romanian music industry. One of her greatest strengths is that throughout her career, she has worked in nearly every sector of the industry: mass media (press, radio, TV), concert organization, record labels, music publishing, artist management, and booking.
In 2009, she became the first Romanian professional to earn a Master’s Degree in Music Business from Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA).
In 2016, she founded Mastering The Music Business (MMB), the first music industry conference in Romania, which celebrated its 10th edition in 2025.
Currently, she is primarily the President of RAW Music, the organizer of the Mastering The Music Business conference and the Romanian music export office.

C&B: If we were to trace the narrative of your career or business, what have been the key moments that defined you?

Anca Lupes: 1995 – when I read All You Need To Know About The Music Business for the first time, the book that changed both my life and my perspective on the music industry.

1996 – when I was part of the organizing team for Michael Jackson’s concert in Bucharest (part of the HIStory tour).

2004 – when I transitioned from employee to entrepreneur and founded Star Management.

2016 – when I founded Mastering The Music Business, the international music industry conference and showcase festival.

C&B: How do you manage to build strong, long-lasting relationships in business?

Anca Lupes: I’ve discovered that at the core of any solid relationship—whether personal or professional—lies trust: both the trust others have in you and the trust you place in them.
If people believe what you say and promise because you consistently deliver on your word, that’s the foundation of a relationship that can last a long time. I’ve tested this principle many times in life, and it has worked perfectly. Without trust, everything falls apart.

Then, professionalism and work ethics are qualities that truly sustain business relationships. The fact that someone can rely on you to deliver at the highest quality is an increasingly rare but extremely valuable asset.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?

Anca Lupes: Yes. Since I entered this field, I’ve always wanted to help artists. Whether I worked in music journalism, concert organizing, record labels, artist management, booking, as an educator in music business courses, or now as the organizer of a music industry conference – that’s always been my guiding thought: how can I help artists, what can I offer them that’s truly useful?

As for obstacles, the biggest ones have always been the artists themselves – those who resisted help. Over time, I learned that you can’t help someone against their will. Fortunately, there weren’t many who resisted, so the obstacle wasn’t insurmountable. It was more of a personal regret because some of them were talented but unwilling to learn the rules of the industry – and eventually, they faded away.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve changed since then?

Anca Lupes: Like anyone starting out—especially since the field itself was still in its early stages—I was a mix of naivety and optimism. As I gained experience, learned, and did a bit of everything, the naivety faded, but thankfully, the optimism remained.

At the beginning, I had the chance to work with great people from whom I learned a lot. Later, I discovered I could also learn on my own, so I pursued specialized studies. Now, I’m in a position where I can teach others.

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Anca Lupes: I hope they’d say good things. But you’d have to ask them.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?

Anca Lupes: Becoming an entrepreneur. I’ve achieved things I’m extremely proud of—things I couldn’t have done as an employee, since I would’ve been limited by a job description. While I learned a lot as an employee, entrepreneurship brought a world of unknowns—but also many opportunities, some of which turned into real successes: among them, earning my Master’s at Berklee, founding a music industry conference, and, in general, having the freedom to turn ideas into reality—no matter how crazy they might seem to others.

C&B: What leadership lessons have you learned from running a creative business in a competitive industry?

Anca Lupes: That you must always get involved and work side by side with any team you’re part of. That the people you choose to work with must share the same set of values as you. And that business and friendship don’t always mix well.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Anca Lupes: A typical day takes place in front of my laptop—emails, calls, and developing ideas that have the best chances of becoming reality. Naturally, the greatest satisfaction comes when one of those ideas materializes: a project in motion, a partnership, a collaboration.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?

Anca Lupes: Integrity, responsibility, and work ethics.
I don’t lie, I don’t manipulate—integrity seems to me the simplest way to do business: everything is clear, no need for complicated constructs.
Morality in business is very important to me. I take full responsibility for my work; I don’t just “check boxes.” I try to be mindful of what I do, to own my decisions and their consequences.

For me, work ethics mean treating every task seriously and with respect for my profession. That includes staying up to date with what’s new in the field, reading, and attending conferences. One of my key principles is that it’s never too late to learn something new.

C&B: How did you decide to launch Mastering The Music Business (MMB), and what inspired you to focus on the music industry?

Anca Lupes: I’ve always been passionate about this field and enjoyed all the roles I’ve had: journalist, artist manager and booking agent, marketing director at a record label, concert and festival organizer, creator and lecturer of music business courses. So, I read as much as I could and pursued the master’s program at Berklee College of Music.

For me, learning about the industry and my profession has always been essential. In Romania, artists and many industry professionals lack access to resources—and many don’t even realize they need them. I started Mastering The Music Business to help build a new generation of professionals who value learning.

Also, because I’m proud of Romanian artists’ talent and want to make it better known internationally. And last but not least, because our industry is growing at a pace I want people from more developed music markets to notice.

C&B: What advice would you give to young people who dream of building a career or business in the music industry?

Anca Lupes: Keep learning continuously—from books and from others—about this industry. It’s special and complex, but also incredibly beautiful. You can build a long and rewarding career if you respect your work, the artists, and your colleagues.

There’s still a lot of room to grow in our industry, so you can even choose to become an entrepreneur. There’s a huge need for artist managers and agents, show producers, and diverse professionals within record labels.

Be brave and take that first step into the music industry—but be warned: it’s addictive!

Through Mastering The Music Business, Anca Lupes continues to inspire a new generation of music creators and entrepreneurs.