Moldovan conductor, violinist celebrates 66 years of age

Chisinau, 25 January /MOLDPRES/ – The artistic director and first conductor of the National Folk Music Orchestra Lautarii, Master Nicolae Botgros, People's Artist, winner of the National Prize, holder of the Order of the Republic, considered a "magician of the violin", celebrates his 66 years of age.

Nicolae Botgros was born in 1953 in village Badicul Moldovenesc, Cahul district, in a family of folk musicians. He studied at the Soroca School of Arts and Conservatoire G. Musicescu in Chisinau.

The first orchestra directed by Nicolae Botgros was Ciocarlia from Edinet. In 1973 he was a violinist in the Philharmonic Orchestra Mugurel, then at Joc, in 1978 becoming the artistic director and first violinist of Lautarii.

In 1982, the master was awarded the title Honoured artist, and in 1988 the Artist of the People. In 1993, he was decorated with the Order of the Republic. In 2014, he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit of Romania, in the degree of the commander. In 2002, the TV station International Romania declared Nicolae Botgros as the conductor of the best orchestra in the entire Romanian space. By a Government decision in 2014, the Soroca School of Arts was named after Nicolae Botgros, where the great master studied in 1968 – 1972.

Nicolae Botgros has brought fame of folk music in dozens of European countries, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and in all countries of ex – Soviet area. Throughout his work he has accompanied hundreds of performers from Moldova and Romania: Nicolae Sulac, Zinaida Julea, Lidia Bejenaru, Maria Ciobanu, Sofia Vicoveanca, Irina Loghin, etc., with whom he has recorded over 200 CDs.