Moldova marks 140th anniversary of birth of great Romanian composer, conductor, violin player

Chisinau, 19 August /MOLDPRES/ - The 140th birthday anniversary of a great Romanian composer, conductor, piano player, violin player and teacher, George Enescu, is marked today. Enescu is regarded as one of the best singers of musical instruments in the world.     

George Enescu was born in the Liveni-Vârnav village, Botosani county, Romania, in 1981. He studied at the Vienna Conservatoire (1889-1993), upon the graduation of which he received the Gesellschaft smadaille distinction. Afterwards, Enescu studied at the Paris-based Conservatoire (1895-1899), at the end of which he got the Great Prize and the violin of the French violin-maker Bernardel. Enescu worked as violinist and concert performer in Romania and abroad (1892-1950). He debuted as violin player in Vienna in 1892, as composer in Paris in 1897, as conductor at the Romanian Athenaeum from Bucharest in 1898, as piano player in Bucharest in 1901. In 1897-1914, Enescu gave private lessons of violin, piano, music history in Paris.        

George Enescu carried out an intense pedagogical work in Romania and abroad.  

Enescu composed vocal and symphony music, among which The Romanian Poem, The Romanian Rhapsody. The Oedip opera, regarded as one of the musical masterpieces of the 20th century, was re-discovered lately by exegetes of the contemporary music, as late as in 1997, after the premiere of Oedip in Vienna. The greatest Romanian composer made a genial synthesis of the folk music and the European musical traditions. He founded an instrumental Trio in Paris (1903), George Enescu string quartet (1904) and the George Enescu Symphony Society (1914). Enescu established the George Enescu National Composition Prize (1913-1946).    

Enescu mate international artistic tours in Europe and America. He gave concerts in Chisinau, Balti, Cahul, Cetatea Alba, Hotin, Tighina, Ismail, Chernivtsi (1918-1934). He was member of numerous national and international societies.

George Enescu was awarded mentions and distinctions: Cultural Merit, class I (1931), Order The Crown of Romania, class I (1931), the prize given by the Candide magazine from Paris (1933), the Prize The Honorary Legion of France (1924, 1936), The Ribbon The Honorary Legion in rank of Commander of the Arts Ministry from France (1936), Golden Medal of the Society of the Education and Encouraging of Arts, Sciences and Letters (Paris, 1937), the Great Prize of the disc at the Paris International Exhibition (1937), the Great Cross of the Faithful Service Order (Bucharest, 1947), Great Prize awarded by the Charles Cros Academy (1949). Enescu was elected Doctor Honoris Causa of the Conservatoire of Music and Declamation from Iasi (1942). The 2005 year was declared as the George Enescu International Musical Year.     

The composer died in Paris on 4 May 1955.