Well-known Romanian panpipe singer turns 80

Chisinau, 6 April /MOLDPRES/ - A Romanian composer, musician, instrumentalist, known as the King of Panpipe, holder of the Order of the Republic, honorary citizen of the Chisinau city Gheorghe Zamfir turns 80 today.  

Gheorghe Zamfir was born in the Gaiesti settlement, Dambovita county, Romania, on 6 April 1941. He graduated from the Bucharest-based Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatoire. During more years, Zamfir worked as conductor of the one of the biggest folk bands from Romania - Ciocarlia (Sky Lark).  

In 1970, Gheorghe Zamfir set up the first concert folk music band. In 1972, he created the Panpipe-Organ style, introducing new repertoires and considerably extending the expressive artistic mastership of the panpipe’s interpretation, by including the panpipe in the symphony orchestra with the Pop style.

The artist made artistic tours to more countries, including France, Italy, Israel, Germany, Switzerland and China. Besides the prestigious career of musician, Zamfir asserted himself as artist also in the literary and fine arts sectors, publishing poems, essays and an autobiographic book and displaying his own paining in Romania and abroad.   

Following a successful musical career, in 1982, in the full swing of the communism, Zamfir dedicated a concert to God. He fell into disfavor of the Ceausescu pair and had to go into exile. Gheorghe Zamfir continued his career in exile and enjoyed the world success. He received numerous prizes and distinctions. In 1986, his only son, Emmanuel Teodor Zamfir, was born to him in Canada from his relation with Susan Nichols. Emmanuel Teodor Zamfir is currently drummer in a rock band in Montreal. In 1995, Gheorghe Zamfir got married with Marie Noëlle in Paris. He returned to Romania after the 1989 Revolution and went through a period of financial difficulties because of the debts accumulated to the French fiscal service, which confiscated his possessions from France, because he would have failed to pay the taxes worth millions of euros. This fact did not prevent Zamfir from continuing his artistic career.    

In those over 50 years of artistic career, Gheorghe Zamfir created more than 300 works in folkloric, chamber, choral, vocal instrumental and symphonic styles. He won 120 golden and platinum disks and has sold more than 120 million disks.

In 1990, Gheorghe Zamfir was awarded the title of honorary citizen of the Chisinau municipality. On 15 May 2013, Moldova’s President Nicolae Timofti signed a decree, thereby awarding the Romanian panpipe singer and composer Gheorghe Zamfir the highest distinction of the state, Order of the Republic, ‘’as a token of high appreciation of the special merits in the development of the musical art, for the substantial contribution to the promotion of the national cultural values and prodigious creation activity.’’   

In his speech of thanks, Gheorghe Zamfir said: „Following the first five concerts given in Chisinau in 1990, on my way to the country, I remained attached to the local people with body and soul. At that time, there were ten days of tears, emotions and hopes, by the side of the most illustrious culture people, led by the great departed poet Grigore Vieru.’’