George Enescu

Aย child prodigy, George Enescu created his first musical composition at the age of five.ย Shortly thereafter, his father presented him to the professor and composerย Eduard Caudella. At the age of seven, he entered theย Vienna Conservatory, where he studied withย Joseph Hellmesberger, Jr.,ย Robert Fuchs, andย Sigismund Bachrich. He graduated before his 13th birthday, earning the silver medal.

Many of Enescu's works were influenced by Romanian folk music, his most popular compositions being the twoย Romanian Rhapsodiesย (1901โ€”2), the operaย ร…โ€™dipeย (1936), and the suites for orchestra.ย He also wrote five symphonies (two of them unfinished), aย symphonic poemย Vox maris, and much chamber music (three sonatas for violin and piano, two for cello and piano, a piano trio, two string quartets and two piano quartets, a windย decetย (French, "dixtuor"), an octet for strings, a piano quintet, and a chamber symphony for twelve solo instruments). A youngย Ravi Shankarย recalled in the 1960s how Enescu, who had developed a deep interest in Oriental music, rehearsed with Shankar's brotherย Uday Shankarย and his musicians. Around the same time, Enescu took the youngย Yehudi Menuhinย to the Colonial Exhibition in Paris, where he introduced him to theย Gamelanย Orchestra fromย Indonesia.

On January 8, 1923 Enescu made his American debut as a conductor in a concert given by theย Philadelphia Orchestraย atย Carnegie Hallย in New York City, and he subsequently made frequent returns to the United States. It was in America, in the 1920s, that Enescu was first persuaded to make recordings as a violinist. He also appeared as a conductor with many American orchestras, and in 1936 he was one of the candidates considered to replaceย Arturo Toscaniniย as permanent conductor of the New York Philharmonic.

Enescu lived inย Parisย and inย Romania, but afterย World War IIย and theย Soviet occupation of Romania, he remained inย Paris.ย A noted violin teacher, he worked with artists such as Yehudi Menuhin,ย Christian Ferras,ย Ivry Gitlis,ย Arthur Grumiaux,ย Ida Haendelย andย Joan Field. He also promoted contemporary Romanian music, playing works ofย Constantin Silvestri,ย Mihail Jora,ย Ionel Perleaย and Marร…ยฃian Negrea.

Upon his death in 1955, George Enescu was interred in theย Pรจre Lachaise Cemeteryย in Paris.ย Today, Bucharest houses aย museumย in his memory; likewise, theย Symphony Orchestra of Bucharestย and theย George Enescu Festivalย are named and held in his honor.