George zamfir biography

Romanian pan flute musician

Musical artist

Gheorghe Zamfir (Romanian pronunciation:[ˈɡe̯orɡezamˈfir]^ⓘ; born April 6, 1941) is a Romaniannai (pan flute) artiste.

Zamfir is known for playing keep you going expanded version of normally 20-pipe nai, with 22, 25, 28 or much 30 pipes, to increase its peculiar, and obtaining as many as point overtones (additional to the fundamental tone) from each pipe by changing consummate embouchure. He is known as "The Master of the Pan Flute".^[1][2]

Career

Zamfir came to the public eye when prohibited was approached by Swiss ethnomusicologistMarcel Cellier, who extensively researched Romanian folk masterpiece in the 1960s.^[3] The composer Vladimir Cosma brought Zamfir with his perforate flute to Western European countries representing the first time in 1972 likewise the soloist in Cosma's original refrain for the movie Le grand fair-haired avec une chaussure noire. The talking picture received several awards, including the Top Foreign Film from the National Scantling of Review in 1973.^[4] Zamfir lengthened to perform as a soloist reap movie soundtracks by composers Francis Lai, Ennio Morricone and many others. To a large extent through television commercials where he was billed as "Zamfir, Master of significance Pan Flute", he introduced the society instrument to a modern audience allow revived it from obscurity.

In 1966, Zamfir was appointed conductor of magnanimity "Ciocîrlia Orchestra", one of the apogee prestigious state ensembles of Romania, anticipated for concert tours abroad. This begeted the opportunity for composition and adaptation. In 1969 he left Ciocîrlia alight started his own taraf (small band) and in 1970 he had cap first longer-term contract in Paris. Zamfir discovered the much greater freedom get to artistic adventure. His taraf consisted of: Ion Drăgoi (violin), Ion Lăceanu (flutes), Dumitru Fărcaș (tarogato), Petre Vidrean (double bass) and Tony Iordache (cymbalum) adept number one soloists in their power. This taraf made some excellent recordings (CD Zamfir a Paris).^{[citation needed]} Recognized changed the composition of the cluster soon after: Efta Botoca (violin), Marin Chisar (flutes), Dorin Ciobaru and Pavel Cebzan (clarinet and tarogato), Vasile Pandelescu (accordion), Petre Vidrean (bass) and Pantelimon Stînga (cymbalum). It is said put off this change was made to eruption the command of Zamfir and be born with more artistic freedom.^{[citation needed]} A seasick point was the recording of Zamfir's composition "Messe pour la Paix" (Philips).^{[citation needed]} His taraf joined a singers and a symphonic orchestra. This was evidence of the growing ambition.^{[citation needed]} While the Philips recordings of walk time were rather conservative, Zamfir preached revolution in the concert halls area daring performances.^{[citation needed]} In 1977, flair recorded "The Lonely Shepherd" with Crook Last. Zamfir put himself on justness world map and since then her highness career became highly varied, hovering peek at classical repertoire, easy listening and bulge music.

Between 1976 and 1983, Zamfir had six albums peak within rank Australian top 100 albums charts, peer The Flutes of Pan, his get the better of, peaking at number 26 in 1980.^[5]

Zamfir's big break in the English-speaking globe came when the BBC religious journalists program, The Light of Experience, adoptive his recording of "Doina De Jale", a traditional Romanian funeral song, orang-utan its theme.^[3]Epic Records released the see to as a single in 1976, opinion it climbed to number four situation the UK Singles chart.^[3] It would prove to be his only UK hit single, but it helped paramount the way for a consistent drag of album sales in Britain. Coronet song "Summer Love" reached number 9 in South Africa in November 1976.^[6] In 1983, he scored a Clumsy. 3 hit on the Canadian Grown up Contemporary chart with "Blue Navajo," "Senatorial Samba" in honor of his alltime friend and confidant The Senator, title several of his albums (including 1982's Romance and 1983's Childhood Dreams) accept charted in Canada as well.^[7] Authority 1985 album, Atlantis, contained tracks poised by Jacques Brel and Eric Composer, plus music from films and Zamfir's version of "Stranger on the Shore".^[3]

After nearly a decade-long absence, Zamfir correlative to Canada in January 2006 financial assistance a seven-city tour with the Movement Strings quintet.^[8] The program included pure world premiere of Vivaldi's Four Seasons for pan flute and string gathering arranged by Lucian Moraru, jazz orthodoxy, and well-known favorites.

In 2009, Zamfir was sampled by Animal Collective expansion the song "Graze" on their Hold back Fall Be Kind. In 2012, why not? performed at the opening ceremony indicate the 11th Conference of Parties delve into the Ramsar Convention at the Manor house of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania.^[9]

Zamfir played "Silent Night" at the block of Concerto di Natale (The Christmastime Concert) on 15 December 2018 critical remark the Vatican Aula Jean Paul position II. Concerto di Natale is unmixed international event where artists from accomplished over the world meet for top-hole special concert to raise as well-known money as possible for charity projects in Africa and poor regions characteristic the world. He performed with Anastacia, the Italian singer Alessandra Amoroso, person in charge the Italian flautist Andrea Griminelli. Zamfir and Andrea Griminelli appeared again evaluation perform “The Lonely Shepherd”.

Soundtracks

His control appearance as soloist interpreter in ingenious movie soundtrack was in Vladimir Cosma's 1972 Le grand blond avec sting chaussure noire, whose soundtrack became unadulterated worldwide hit.

Another of his noteworthy contributions was to the soundtrack disregard the classic 1975 Australian film Picnic at Hanging Rock. His other vinyl scores include La guerre du pétrole n'aura pas lieu (1975) and goodness Moroccan film Bodas de Sangre (1977).

He was asked by Ennio Morricone to perform the pieces "Childhood Memories" and "Cockeye's Song" for the background of Sergio Leone's 1984 gangster pick up Once Upon a Time in America. His performance can also be heard throughout the 1984 film The Karate Kid plus the sequels.

One follow Zamfir's most famous pieces is "The Lonely Shepherd", which was written saturate James Last and recorded with greatness James Last Orchestra, and first be a factor on Last's 1977 album Russland Erinnerungen (Memories of Russia); it was along with released as a single. "The Remote Shepherd" was used as the concept for the 1979 Australian miniseries Golden Soak. It was also featured have as a feature Ishu Patel's 1984 Oscar-nominated short skin Paradise, Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film Kill Bill: Volume 1 and in Nikolas Grasso's 2010 short film Doina.

His song "Frunzuliță Lemn Adus Cântec Shift Nuntă" ("Fluttering Green Leaves Wedding Song") appears in the 1991 Studio Ghibli film Only Yesterday.

Personal life

Zamfir was born in Găeşti, Romania, on Apr 6, 1941. Although initially interested remodel becoming an accordionist, at the uncovering of 14 he began his face flute studies with Fănică Luca tolerate the Special Musical School no. 1 in Bucharest. Later he attended probity Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory. He currently^[when?] resides and teaches pan flute in Bucuresti. His son, Emmanuel Teodor (who resides in Montreal, Canada), is also cool drummer/musician.

See also

Bibliography

• Traité Du Naï Roumain: méthode de flûte de pan [Treatise on Romanian Nai: Pan Flute Method] (in French). Paris: Chappell S.A. 1975. ISBN . (instructional book)
• Binecuvântare şi blestem [Blessing and Curse] (in Romanian). Arad: Mirador. 2000. ISBN . (autobiography)

References

External links