Celebrated violinist Sherban Lupu, one of the world's leading performers of George Enescu's music, is joined by traditional music virtuosos Grigore Chira, Ioan Pop and Gheorghe Stan on a contemporary revisiting of traditional Romanian music. Using a picturesque array of traditional instruments such as the cimbalom, the Stroh violin, the folk fiddle, and various folk wind and percussion instruments, the Romanian musicians will be playing music from various regions of Romania, in a subtle interplay between the classical and the traditional style.
Sherban Lupu has also recorded, alongside a number of Romanian peasant musicians, a highly praised CD for the Electrecord label and has taken the concert on tour in Romania and other European countries.
Ioan Pop, from the village of Hoteni, Maramures County (northern Transylvania): guitar (zongora), flute without holes (tilinca), violin (cetera), trumpet violin (higheghe), drum (doba), voice. Ioan Pop, the leader of the group of peasant virtuosos, is a cattle farmer, owner of several splendid rural guesthouses; he is also teaching Romanian music classes for foreign visitors. He enjoys the reputation of being the top peasant musician in the region and one of the most valuable in Romania.
Gheorghe Stan, from the village of Draganesti Vlasca, Wallachia (southern Romania): small cymbalom (tambal mic), drum (doba), double bass (bas or gordon). Gheorge Stan is one of the last remaining players of small cymbalom - a very popular instrument at one time, which is now slowly going out of fashion. More conservative villagers hire him for different rural celebration (mostly weddings), while producers of folkloric shows deem him priceless.
Grigore Chira, from the village of Sindresti, Maramures County: double bass (bas or gordon), guitar (zongora), drum (doba). He is the only one in the group with classical training. Nonetheless, he is frequently present at celebrations in and around his village, where he plays any of the instruments of the ensemble might need him to (keyboard).
The concert is organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute in partnership with Pro Patrimonio and Adept Foundations, and is part of the Festival of Art & Music. Click here for the biography of the artists.
When: 26 November 2008, 7-9 pm;
Where: Romanian Cultural Institute, 1 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8PH
Admission: by invitation.
