Sorin Lerescu was born in Craiova, Romania, on 14 November 1953. He graduated in composition at the National University of Music in Bucharest in 1979 where he studied with Tiberiu Olah, Anatol Vieru (composition), Ștefan Niculescu (musical analysis), Alexandru Pașcanu (harmony), Liviu Comes (counterpoint), Nicolae Beloiu (orchestration). Postgraduated studies at Dragvoll University in Trondheim, Norway in 1983 with Gayle Mosand (Norway), at Georg Büchner Schule, Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, in Darmstadt, Germany in 1984 with Ton de Leeuw (The Nertherlands), Brian Ferneyhough (UK), Morton Feldman (USA). He earned his PhD at the 'Gh. Dima' Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca in 1999.