Maestro Gabriel Croitoru, a world renowned Violinist from Romania. He was the first prizewinner of both Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Lublin, Poland-1979 and the Pablo Sarasate International Violin Competition in Spain-1991 as well as the best interpretation of works by Sarasate.
He is also the top prizewinner in other International Violin Competitions including Tibor Varga (second prize,-first prize not awarded), N.Paganini, Fritz Kreisler and has been hailed as “an exceptional violinist with impeccable technique” in the French papers after winning second prize (first prize-not awarded) in Zino Francescatti International Violin Competition in 1987.
Mr. Croitoru recorded on CD in 1988 with the Nice Philharmonic (France), under the baton of Claude Bardon, Paganini’s concerto no.1 and Tschaikovski’s violin concerto.
In 1994, the Malaga Symphony (Spain), conducted by Jacques Bodmer, accompanied Gabriel performing the complete works by Sarasate for violin and orchestra, in a set of 3 CD’s. He has performed in over 1,000 performances as a soloist in front of an orchestra throughout Europe and Asia, including London Royal Philharmonic, Monte-Carlo Symphony, Lyon Symphony, Gewandhaus Leipzig Orchestra, Galicia Symphony, Queen Sofia Chamber Orchestra, String Festival of Lucerne Chamber Orchestra and many others.
Gabriel has recitaled in numerous countries including France (last recital was at the Unesco Center), Spain, Germany, Italy, China, Bulgaria, ex-U.S.S.R., Hungary, Romania, etc. and took part in the masterclasses of prestigious Salvattore Accardo in 1982 and Zino Francescatti in 1988.
Mr. Croitoru has been trained as a violinist in Romania, where he graduated from the Music High School of Bucharest in 1983 in the class of Prof. Mihai Constantinescu and from the Music University of Bucharest in 1987, where he studied with Prof. Modest Iftinchi. He studied in private simoultanesly with Prof. Stefan Gheorghiu.
Mr. Croitoru presently holds the position of permanent soloist of Ploiesti Philharmonic (Romania), he is the first violin of the “Transylvan” State String Quartett and the position of Distinguished Professor of Violin at the Music University in Bucharest. Since 2006, he has obtained doctor’s degree in the same University, with the thesys “PABLO SARASATE – Virtuosite interpretative et fantaisie componistique”. Mr. Croitoru’s performances during a season are about 50.
In 1999 he won the competition whose president of the jury was Lord Yehudi Menuhin, organized by the Ministery of Culture, in collaboration with the “I. Voicu” international funfation, for the right to utilize the Romanian Stradivarius Elder)which Maestro Voicu has played while he was soloist of the Bucharest Philharmonic.
Along the years, he has been member of many national and international violin competitions.
In 2008 he won the competition organized by Ministry of Culture and the “G.Enescu” Museum, for the right to use the “Joseph Guarnerius” – Cathedral, made in Cremona, in 1730, who belonged to the famous musician George Enescu.