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Serban Nichifor
Composer
Born: August 25, 1954, in Bucharest, Romania
Married to Liana
Alexandra, composer
Studies
Present Position
- Professor at the National University of Music, Bucharest (Chamber Music
Department);
- Member of UCMR (Romania), SABAM (Belgium), ECPMN (Holland)
- Vice-president of the ROMANIA-BELGIUM Association
- Cellist of the Duo INTERMEDIA and co-director of the
NUOVA MUSICA CONSONANTE-LIVING MUSIC FOUNDATION
INC.(U.S.A) Festival, with Liana ALEXANDRA
Selected Works
OPERA, SYMPHONIC, VOCAL-SYMPHONIC AND CONCERTANTE MUSIC:
- "Constellations" for Orchestra (1977)
- Symphony I
"Shadows" (1980)
- Cantata "Sources" (1977)
- Cantata
"Gloria Heroum Holocausti" (1978)
- Opera "Miss Christina"
(libretto by Mircea ELIADE,1981)
- Symphony II "Via Lucis" (1985)
- Symphony III "American Symphony - I" (1986)
- Symphony IV
"American Symphony - II" (1987)
- Symphony V "Pro Patria" (1987)
- Symphony VI "Time Archways" (1988)
- Cantata
"Remember" (1988)
- "Missa da Requiem" (1990)
- Chamber-Opera
"Talaria" (libretto by Etienne DE SADELEER, 1994)
- Cantata "Per
CHRISTUM" (1997)
- "Concerto GRIEGoriano" for Piano and Orchestra (1997)
- Chamber-Opera "Le Martyre de Saint Claude DEBUSSY" (libretto
after Claude DEBUSSY and E.A.POE, 1999)
- "Un Certain Instant" for
Cello and Orchestra (2001)
CHAMBER, CHORAL AND VOCAL MUSIC
- "Postludium" per Organo (1975)
- "Sorcova" per Coro Misto
a capella (1995)
- Quartetto per Archi I - "Anamorphose" (1976)
- "Carols" per Trombone e Percussione (1978)
- "Invocatio" per
Flauto e Celesta (1979)
- "Canto di Speranza" per
Flauto,Violino,Viola,Cello e Pianoforte (1981)
- "Onirophonie" per Fl.,
Vn.e Pf. (1982)
- "Chanson d'Antan" per Vn.e Pf.(1983)
- "Carnyx"
per Clarinetto (1984)
- "Tango for Yvar" per Pf.(1984)
- Quartetto per
Archi II - "Vallons de l'Oubli" (1984)
- "Aprite le porte di
questo castel" per Coro Maschile (1984)
- "Morendo" per Cb. e
Pianoforte (1985)
- "6 Melodies Irlandaises d'Amerique" per 2 Ob.,C.i.
e 2 Fg. (1985)
- "Czarna Rosa" per Mezzo-Soprano e Pf. (1986)
- "7 Canti Rumeni di Natale" per 4 Trombe, 4 Tromboni ed Organo
(1986)
- "Horn Call Rag" per Corno e Pf. (1986)
- "AVE MARIA" per
Soprano ed Organo (1987)
- "Isola di Euthanasios" - Sonata "sopra
acqua e pietra" per Pianoforte (1988)
- "Transgressio" per Fl.,Ob.
e Fg. (1989)
- "Battuta" per Percussione (1989)
- "Lacrimosa"
per Tenore e Pf. (1989)
- "Meditatio"per Organo (1990)
- Missa "Actio
Gratiarum Oecumenica" per Coro Misto a capella (1991)
- "NATALIS DOMINI"
per Coro Misto a capella (1992)
- "Isihia" per Cello (1992)
- "Epiphania"
per Cello e Pianoforte (1993)
- "Rorate Caeli" per Soprano ed Orchestra
da Camera (1994)
- "Medium per Arpa" (1995)
- "Medium per Flauto" (1995)
- "3 Christmas German Chorals" for Organ (1997)
- "Hommage a
DEBUSSY" per 2 Pf. - ossia Pf. e Nastro Magnetico (1998)
- "La Nuit
Obscure" per Orchestra da Camera (1998)
- "Invocation a Themis" per Sax.Alto (2001)
- "Isihia" for violoncello and tape (2002)
Works published at
- Musical Publishing House, Bucharest
- Edition
Modern, Munchen
- "Pro musica Studium", Roma
- "Quadrivium Music
Press", New York
- "Dohr Verlag", Koln a.s.o.
- Edition SCORE-ON-LINE (France)
Works played and recorded in
- Romania, Belgium, Holland, USA, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Poland,
England, Austria, Japan, Greece, a.s.o.
Affiliations
Prizes and Awards
- 1977 - First Prize GAUDEAMUS, Amsterdam
- 1977 - International Prize, Tours, France
- 1978 - "Press Prize", Evian
- 1979 - International Prize ISCM, Athens, Greece
- 1980, 1982, 1988 - Prizes of the Romanian Composers and Musicologists'
Union
- 1980 - "Diego ORTIZ", Toledo
- 1982 - "George Enesco" Prize of the Romanian Academy
- 1983 - Urbana-Illinois
- 1984, 1993 - Trento
- 1985 - "Valentino
BUCCHI", Roma
- 1986 - "Musica Antiqua Europae
Orientalis", Bydgoszcz
- 1988 - ISCM, Hong-Kong
- 1994 - Jihlava
- 1996 - Karlsruhe
- 1997 -
Koln
- 1998 - Newtown-Wales
- 1998 - Birmingham-Alabama
- 1998 - Bourges
- 2002 - "Man of the Year", American Biographical Institute, USA
PRESS REVIEWS
- SUNDAY TIMES (London, 18.08.1977) - "The First Prize went to a
22-year-old Romanian Serban NICHIFOR, for his <Anamorphose>, played by the
Gaudeamus String Quartet in the smaller hall of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Its
virtually silent beginning, seemingly addressed to the eye rather than the ear, already
hinted at a spatial element which later furnished a valid and
charming feature of its ending. The visual gradually became audible, and the
mosaic of sound soon acquired continuity as a few folk-tune motifs were set in
relief. This innocuous, inextravagant, musically and visually direct essay in
quartet-writing deserved recognition and won an ovation !" (Felix
APRAHAMIAN)
- FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG (09.06.1978) - "Die Presse-Jury bedachte
das rumanische Quartet <Lyra> mit einem Preis fur die ausgezeichnete
Interpretation der attraktiven <Anamorphose> des jungen Komponisten Serban
NICHIFOR" (Bernd LEUKERT)
- SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG (27/28.05.1978) - "...Sein <Anamorphose>
betiteltes Stuck exerziert die verschidensten technischen Affekte und Effekte
auf den vier Instrumenten und zerfasert den Streicherklang schliesslich auf
augenfallige Weise..." (Albrecht ROESELER)
- DIE PRESSE (Wien,26.05.1978) - "...die originelle <Anamorphose>
von Serban NICHIFOR..." (Olga OBRY)
- LA VOIX (11.05.1978) - "...le Quatuor <Anamorphose> du Roumain
Serban NICHIFOR,oeuvre d'une redoutable complexite, mais d'une indeniable valeur..."
(Georges BERNAND)
- NRC HANDELSBLAD (Amsterdam,13.09.1977) - "...Serban NICHIFOR,in sijn
strijkwartet - een brok onstuimig muziek maken - integreert hij vijf Roemeense
melodieen uit Transsylvanie en past hij als een soort van harmonische basis
evenees vijf Roemeens-orthodoxe hymnes toe. Let wel: hij doet dat in een uit
gespreken avant-gardistisch klanggemiddelde ! Resultaat hat grootste applaus en
de eerste prijde van den jury." (Ernst VERMEULEN)
- DARMSTADTER ECHO (04.08.1980) - "Das absolute Gegenteil dazu wurde in
der Streichquartett-Komposition <Anamorphose> des Rumanen Serban NICHIFOR
geboten. Komplexe polyphone Schichtungen, vorwiegend mit wisperndern Spiel am
Steg und scharrenden Flageolett-Tone aufgebaut, zeugten von einer ausgesprochen
raffinierten Schreibweise..." (Jo TRILLIG)
- MUSICULTURA (Breukelen, II-1980) - "...NICHIFOR's final example was a
1980 cantata <Sources>. The work deals with the peoples who lived in
Romania in the most ancient times. In this energetic composition one can find a
montage of folk materials and contemporary idioms..." (William P. MALM)
- LIVING MUSIC (USA, Fall '93, Vol.11, No.1) - "...NICHIFOR has been
active as a composer, performer, and musicologist. He has won numerous awards
and is performed frequently in his own country and abroad. During the past years
he has been especially active in Bucharest organizing concerts of music by
Amarican composers. NICHIFOR did visit the United States in 1982, so he has a
good sense of musical life in this country." (Rodney OAKES)
- THE WHITE HOUSE - WASHINGTON D.C. (01.10.1992) - "Dear Mr. NICHIFOR,
thank you for the beautiful recordings of your Third and Fourth Symphonies,
which I recently received through the U.S.Information Agency. I appreciate your
having dedicated them <to the glory of America> and I am delighted to know
that our cities have inspired you in this uniquely creative way. The recordings
have been donated to the Library Of Congress so that they may be preserved for
the people of the United States. Your thoughtful gift will bring many hours of
pleasure to all who come to enjoy them." George BUSH, The President of the
United States of America
- RHEIN-NECKAR-ZEITUNG (Karlsruhe,31.10.1996) - "...Und mit der
<Meditation> des rumanischen Komponist Serban NICHIFOR wurde man dann doch
noch hineingefuhrt in die versunkene Welt der stillen Gebete, des Archaischen,
der ruhig brutenden Fauxbourdon-Klange, die zuweilen die innigen
religioso-Harmonien eines Cesar FRANCK herbeizitieren. Doch dann noch
gesprochene lateinische Gebetformeln - da gab es alles, war die Glaubensseele
begluckt. Dass davon gleichwohl ein subtiler Reiz ausging, blieb
unbestritten."(Rainer KOHL)
- LE JOURNAL DE ST-GERMAIN (24.09.1999) - "...C'est pour honorer la
memoire de Claude DEBUSSY que le compositeur Serban NICHIFOR a compose en 1999 ,
<Le Martyre de Saint Claude DEBUSSY>, drame lyrique evoquant les dernieres
annees du musicien. Il vient d'adresser au Musee Claude DEBUSSY sa piece pour
piano et bande magnetique. Dans cette piece,on retrouvera tout l'univers
debussyste: de la poesie enchanteresse,a l'appel du lontain... Cet
enregistrement vient enrichir le fonds du musee (en cours de constitution) et
devrait s'integrer au projet d'ecoutes musicales." (Jacques BERLIE)
- LUXEMBURGER WORT (23.02.2000) - "...Finalement, c'est <La Nuit
Obscure> de Serban NICHIFOR qui nous impressionna le plus. Concue comme un
veritable <concerto pour percussion>,l'oeuvre surprend par son originalite
et sa beaute intrinseque, mais aussi par la virtuosite qu'elle exige du soliste.
Pas de bavardage, pas de fioriture, rien que de la tres belle musique,
fracassante certes, mais tellement vraie !" (Pierre SCHWICKERATH)
- LA LETTRE DU HAUTBOISTE (France, No 5/2000) - "...Dans les <6
Melodies Irlandaises d'Amerique> de Serban NICHIFOR, les nantais, deja
nombreux, s'etaient associes aus messins. Cette musique franche et limpide, se
pretait bien a un effectif hors norme concu pour le plaisir de jouer tout
ensemble."
- CORALITA (Trento, Nr.6/1985) - "...<Aprite le porte di questo castel>
di Serban NICHIFOR - vivace e scherzoso elaborazione, tessuto su uno scheletro
armonico in cui le tre strofe vengono variamente presentate... una <coda>
precipitosa si conclude in un buffo <portamento>, che sfoncia nel
<quasi parlando> (e <quasi grido>) dei due accordi finali."
- KOLNER STADT-ANZEIGER (08.12.1997) - "...der Anhang umfasst 135
Kompositionen... Zweiter wurde Serban NICHIFOR aus Bukarest..." (Claudia
FREYTAG)
- LIVING MUSIC (USA, Spring 2000, Vol.17, No.3) - "Serban NICHIFOR himself
turned in some splendid performances of our american cello music, and ensembles
of student performers who are sure to develop technical and professional polish
with experience filled the remaining concert-and-a-half with vibrantly
enthusiastic renditions of chamber works..." (Aaron J. RABUSHKA)
Address
- Serban NICHIFOR, Str.Principatele Unite Nr.2,Vila I, Ap.7, Sector 4, RO-70512 BUCHAREST, ROMANIA, Tel.(0040-1)336.13.99. and (0040-1)772.30.29, E-mails: snichifor@yahoo.com
Make acquaintance with his music
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