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Chamber choir of “George Enescu” University of Arts, Iasi, Romania
Founded in 1976 and including 34 students, the choir “Cantores Amicitiae” of “George Enescu” University of
Arts, Iasi -
Romania, tries to present to music lovers the most beautiful Romanian and universal musical
creations. The
program of “Cantores Amicitiae” includes choral music from Renaissance,
classical, romantic
and contemporary music, Romanian classical and contemporary music, masses and oratories, church music.
The “Cantores Amicitiae”, as a chamber chorus, is now an outstanding name not only in Iasi’s musical life, but also in
Romania’s musical life due to its interpretative qualities, homogeneity, precision and high fidelity of the melodic line.
It is also known for its respect to the musical style and the natural specifical character that can be found in all its
musical pieces.
As true ambassadors of peace and friendship, "Cantores Amicitiae"
witnessed successful tours not only in Romania, but also in
Austria, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Great Britain and
Spain, where it got many awards at different national and international festivals and competitions:
-
Six first prizes at the National Festival “Singing to Romania”
- First prize in the International Competition - “The Youth and the Music” - at Wien,
1980
- Third prize in the International Competition at Llangollen, in Wales, 1991
- “Excellent Mention” of the International Competition in Montreux, Switzerland,
1995
- Second prize at the International Musical Eisteddfod at Llangollen, Wales,
1995
- Special prize of the International Festival for Music at Cantonigròs, Spain,
1995
The chorus activity also includes:
- numerous Radio and TV records
- two LP, recorded at “Electrecord” in Bucharest:
“Around the world in 16 melodies” and “Wintersongs from everywhere”
- six CD recorded in Switzerland at the CDs
Audio Production J.D. Brandt, C.H.Bienne:
- “Romanian Christmas Carols”
- “Romanian Choral Music”
- “Cantores Amicitiae sings to the world”
- "Christmas Carols from everywhere”
- "The Christmas Performance"
- "Byzantine Oratorio for Christmas", by P. Constantinescu
The large repertory of “Cantores Amicitiae” permits the group to sing,
under any circumstances, more
than one hundred songs.
The chorus is conducted by Nicolae
Gisca, professor of conducting at the University of Arts “George Enescu”.
In theory, he is well known as author of several studies such as: “The Conductor’s Art” (Didactic and Pedagogic
Publishing House,
Bucharest, 1982), “The Treaty of Instruments Theory” (Musical Publishing
House, Bucharest vol. I –1987, vol. II - 1998), “The
Chorus Conductor” (Hyperion Publishing House, Kisinew 1992).
Press Review
· “The beauty of the folk song make shape the perfection, the pure and clear sound were the gift which the messengers
of friendship offered to the people who love beauty.”
P.M. Varlan - Ceahlaul, nr 2349, 3 July 1982.
· “The value of the students choir of Iasi is obvious, it being proved by the exacting performances with musicality, the
intonation precision, the verb of the talk, the stylistic sense are mastered to the smallest detail by the conductor of the
choir, Nicolae Gisca.”
A. Geoldes - Crisana, 27 April 1983.
· “The stage of the Romanian Athenaeum is meant to the artistic event and the miracle is possible. The young
interpreters admirably conducted by Nicolae Gisca, gathered their voices in a harmonically ensemble expressing beauty
in a natural and simple manner, characteristic to the genuine and vocation.”
Dr. Gr. Constantinescu - Cronica nr. 5, 1 February 1985.
· “The special merit of Mr. Gisca was that he knew how to lead his group with rare sensibility and musical intelligence.
The interpretation offered to us betrayed the sensibility of the conductor and his group.”
Dan Buciu - Muzica nr. 2, February 1986.
· “In order to celebrate ten years of activity, the chorus “Cantores Amicitiae” offered us a concert which can be
considered as one of the most important moment of the present musical season. An event concert by the variety of its
repertoire and the high quality interpretation.”
Dr. M. Cozmei - Flacara Iasului, 16 April 1986.
· “More than ever I had the feeling that we are in front of a human organ, vibrating on large scale their expressive
possibilities was connected with an infinity of modalities of attack and tuning.”
L. Gherman - Cronica nr. 16, 18 April 1986.
· “Thrilled the auditory the special and the difficult work belonging to Myriam Marbé “Ritual for the Thirst of Land”,
proving timbre purity, delicacy of the sound detail.”
V. Sandu - Muzica nr. 7, July 1987.
· “Cantores Amicitiae proposed us and presented us in the evening of 18th December a touching collection of
“Wintersongs of everywhere", a measure of the artistic complexity of the well done work, of the gift of the members of
“Cantores Amicitiae”, gathered in a subtle logic of the execution and understanding of the approached plays.”
G. Manovici - Clopotul, 25 December 1987.
· “Combining the accuracy of vocal achievement with different hypostases of scenic movements in combinations with
different instrumental interventions, the execution was convincing and attractive owing to juvenile grace and adding a
large ambitus of the choral sonorities.”
L. Gherman - Cronica nr. 23, 3 June 1988.
· “The chamber choir “Cantores Amicitiae” of Iasi, conducted by Nicolae Gisca, included in their repertoire, as usual,
we say so, only Romanian contemporary works, very difficult ones, proving thus to be a homogeneous choir, with a
remarkable vocal technique coming back to the concert .”
M. Ene - Viata Studenteasca nr. 17, 26 April 1989.
· “Coming back to the remarkable concert held in the night of the 22nd December... This is the public concert in the
free Romania. Their faces animated at once, their eyes began to shine and... they sang. They sang more beautifully
than ever. And so this song was constituted as a purifying impart for the salvation of the souls of the Romanian
people.”
L. Gherman - Opinia nr. 15, 9 January 1990.
· “Both at Mesancy and Arlon the public cheered them. There was no need for too much effort to realize that we
had
in front of us real professionals of the song, close experts of all the difficulties.”
L’Avenir de Luxembourg, 23 December 1990.
· “If somebody has ever said that work and its result stimulate each other, then this could be seen this evening.
The
interpretative qualities of the ensemble are very high and its precision, delicacy, homogeneity and
transcendence of the style prove the serious hard work that the members of the choir
exerted themselves under
the fine and dynamic leadership of their conductor Nicolae Gisca.”
Arlon Carrefour - 9 January 1991.
· “The musical event at the end of the year: the 40 Romanian artists from “Cantores Amicitiae” came back to
Arlon.
The numerous public which cheered them in the Arlonish region was delighted by the musical perfection of this group
and their singers of friendship.”
Arlon Carrefour - 11 December 1991.
· “You feel immediately that Nicolae Gisca and his singers live in a symbiosis and they make up an ensemble like a
symphonic orchestra, or like a splendid instrument capable of wonderful virtuosities for which all the difficulties are
almost nothing. And all these come from harmony and joy.”
Contact nr. 10, Thun, October 1992.
· “There is a high quality close to perfection, which allows you to suspect a group of exception. The choir is amazing by
its equilibrium between the male voices and the feminine voices, equilibrium met only with first class groups. The
international purity and easiness of the tuning have created for the auditorium a true aesthetic delight, the character
and the content of the plays performed were understood through a highly elevated intuition. They moved with true
pleasure between the breeze of the wind and impetuous movements.”
André Link - La Voix de Luxembourg, 23 December 1992.
· “It was a charming evening in which the smile didn’t leave us a moment, with a touch of melancholy, of sensitiveness,
of humor and simply, the joy of listening. And this is because there is something which Nicolae Gisca never
jokes with:
quality. And we could see once more how much professionalism this music implies. Adapted to the specific of the group
it means perfect accuracy, rhythmical precision, timbre homogeneity and both the possibilities of
colorist variations
required by the expression and the particular style of the work.”
L. Gherman - Opinia nr. 848, 13 April 1993.
· “The first part was dedicated to Romanian folklore. These melodies were interpreted with real special freshness and
joy. The life attached to the texts took sometimes bohemian turnings, but even in this moment, the ensemble
demonstrated a perfect unity and an incontestably clarity. Undoubtedly, sensible to a certain state of grace the singers prolonged the perfume of the concert offering four encores; Among them filling the recall of different countries,
must be mentioned the delight of the public hearing a song in a Swiss dialect of the German language.”
Pierre Jaquet - Riviera, La Tour de Peilz, 6 September 1993.
· “The joint group “Cantores Amicitiae” conducted by Nicolae Gisca, with its pure voices, with
soprano crystal voices
together with all the soloists who were present, was a “Rolls” of the choral song.
Diaphane “volubly” the
interpretation reflected delicacy, musicality, in award the professional craft of leading baton.”
D. de C. - L’Impartial, La Chaux-de-Fonds, 14 December 1993.
· "The variety of repertory, the homogeneity of voices, the observation of shades are the elements who ensure the
success of performance."
“L’Avenir du Luxembourg”, 16 May 1994.
· "Conducted by Nicolae Gisca - uncommon gifted - this students choir made a great impression by it cohesion, a perfect
fusion of voices and he given a coloured and dense execution of all folk pieces of their country."
Jean Cossetto, La Presse Montreux, 19 April 1995
· “And if we spoke only about Saturday evening, when the performances of the choir “Cantores Amicitiae”, with its
nuances in performances, produced a contaminating enthusiasm, the managers of the festival has a reason to be
proud.”
Journal de Geneve, 24 April 1995.
· “With the same perfect unity, with the same rich colour in their sing, with which the "Cantores Amicitiae" always
delighted us, the whole programme had the sign of emotionality and professionalism.”
V. Tanase, Opinia, 13-14 May 1995.
· “The Romanians choristers have really transported the heart of the public into the summit of emotion.”
Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, 2 July 1995.
· “Awarded with international prizes of numerous contests from Wien, Llangollen,
Montreux, Cantonigros, a real
testimony of their masterlines, the choir interpreted, better than anytime its programme. The singers made to
reverberate public's soul, the spiritual joy of the feast delight the audience with their clear intonation, sensibility,
precision and artistics inspiration.”
V. Tanase, Opinia, 14 April 1996.
· “In a faultless style and a perfect line of the song, the singers invite us
irresistibly to share the joy of Christmas Days.
Under the guidance of the excellent Nicolae Gisca, the chorus dances on notes in “After tradition” and shows by way of
exception, the suppleness of their voices.”
Bertrand Moullet – Riviera, L’est Vaudois, 20 December 1996.
· “The enthusiastical musician students were exemplary engaged themselves, succeeding to go over the complex musical
pages of the partition of Byzantine Oratorio by P. Constantinescu, with passion and professional manner.”
Florin Bucescu, Independentul, 18 February 1997.
· “Markus Kirche – Fantastic concert of Romanian students’ Chorus. The Romanian artists proved their force of
impression. The chorus was practically obliged to encore and the public cheered on song’s rhythm. On Tuesday, the
students’ chorus “Cantores Amicitiae offered us a resounding and successful concert.”
E. Kulbe, W.A.Z., Stadt Wolfburg, le 4 juin 1998.
· “Master Nicolae Gisca led again, with worthy of envy freshness, his students to the land of fantasy, of spiritual
finesses and elevation. One more time the relish was absolute. The deep knowledge of the music’s mysteries as well
as the choral singing skill and the unchallenged gift of handling the sonorous fluid, have as outcome another reference
concert for the cultural life of Iasi, the concert signed “Cantores Amicitiae”. Knowledge and
refinement, youth and artistic maturity, sonorous harmony and color – this was the
framework of the concert”.
M.Luiuz, Actuality Musical, nr.1, January, 2000
Conductor: Professor Nicolae GISCA
Address: 1, Grigore Ureche St., Bloc Maracineanu, et.9 Apt.33, 6600 Iasi
Phone: +40-32-21.26.78, fax: +40-32.21.25.51,
E-mail: ngisca@arteiasi.ro
Following are a few examples from "Cantores Amicitiae"'s
repertoire:
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