Ion Voicu
Encyclopedia
Ion Voicu was a Romania
n violin
ist and orchestra
l conductor of Romani ethnicity. In 1969 he founded the award-winning Bucharest
Chamber Orchestra, which is now conducted by his son Mădălin Voicu
.
Voicu was born in Bucharest, into a family of professional musicians. At age 6, he had his first music lessons with Constantin Niculescu. At age 14, he entered the Royal Academy of Music in Bucharest, where he studied with George Enocovici. After graduating in 1940, he became violinist with the National Radio Orchestra of Romania
, where he was noticed by the conductor, Willem Mengelberg
; Voicu made his debut as a soloist with the orchestra soon after. In 1946, he won the first prize at a musical competition organized in Bucharest by George Enescu
and Yehudi Menuhin
.
In 1949, Voicu first appeared as a soloist with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
under George Georgescu
, and he achieved great acclaim as a participant in their 1957 tour of Belgrade
; from 1972 to 1982, he was the director of the Philharmonic.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l conductor of Romani ethnicity. In 1969 he founded the award-winning Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
Chamber Orchestra, which is now conducted by his son Mădălin Voicu
Madalin Voicu
Mădălin Ştefan Voicu is a Romanian musician and politician of Romani ethnicity. Voicu is a member of the Social Democratic Party , and has been a parliamentarian in the Chamber of Deputies since 1996...
.
Voicu was born in Bucharest, into a family of professional musicians. At age 6, he had his first music lessons with Constantin Niculescu. At age 14, he entered the Royal Academy of Music in Bucharest, where he studied with George Enocovici. After graduating in 1940, he became violinist with the National Radio Orchestra of Romania
National Radio Orchestra of Romania
National Radio Orchestra of Romania is the Romanian National symphony orchestra.- History :* National Radio Orchestra was founded in 1928 by the composer and conductor Mihail Jora and is the principal ensemble of the Musical ensembles of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Society.- Chief conductors...
, where he was noticed by the conductor, Willem Mengelberg
Willem Mengelberg
Joseph Willem Mengelberg was a Dutch conductor, famous for his performances of Mahler and Strauss with the Concertgebouw Orchestra.- Biography :...
; Voicu made his debut as a soloist with the orchestra soon after. In 1946, he won the first prize at a musical competition organized in Bucharest by George Enescu
George Enescu
George Enescu was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher.-Biography:Enescu was born in the village of Liveni , Dorohoi County at the time, today Botoşani County. He showed musical talent from early in his childhood. A child prodigy, Enescu created his first musical...
and Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
.
In 1949, Voicu first appeared as a soloist with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra is a musical institution of Romania.Founded in 1886, under the supervision of Eduard Wachman, the Romanian Philharmonic Society had as purpose the creation of a permanent symphonic orchestra in Bucharest...
under George Georgescu
George Georgescu
George Georgescu was a Romanian conductor. The moving force behind the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra for decades beginning shortly after World War I, a protégé of Artur Nikisch and a close associate of George Enescu, he received honors from the French and communist Romanian governments and...
, and he achieved great acclaim as a participant in their 1957 tour of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
; from 1972 to 1982, he was the director of the Philharmonic.
External links
- Margaret Campbell, "Obituary: Ion Voicu", The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, March 3, 1997 Orchestra Națională Radio