Felicia Donceanu facts for kids

Felicia Donceanu (born January 28, 1931 – died January 21, 2022) was a talented artist from Romania. She was known for her work as a painter, sculptor, and especially as a composer. Her music often used sounds and styles from traditional Romanian folk music.

Her Life and Musical Journey

Felicia Donceanu was born in Bacău, Romania, on January 28, 1931. When she was younger, she first thought about becoming a director for plays. However, she soon became very interested in music.

She decided to study music composition at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory in Bucharest. This school is now called the National University of Music. She learned from a famous teacher named Mihail Jora.

After finishing her studies in 1956, Felicia worked as an editor. She helped prepare music and books for publishing. She worked for ESPLA until 1958, and then for Editura Muzicala until 1966.

After 1966, she focused completely on composing music. Her musical pieces became very popular. They were performed in many different countries around the world. Felicia was married to the poet Alexandru Voitin. She passed away in Drăgoești, Romania, on January 21, 2022, when she was 90 years old.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Felicia Donceanu received many awards for her amazing musical talent. These awards showed how much her work was appreciated.

• She received an honorable mention at an International Composition Competition in Mannheim in 1961.
• The Romanian Union of Composers gave her prizes in 1984, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1996, and 1997.
• She was given the Order of Cultural Merit in 1981. This is a special honor for people who contribute a lot to culture.
• In 1984, she won the George Enescu prize from the Romanian Academy. This is a very important award for musicians in Romania.

Her Musical Compositions

Felicia Donceanu wrote music for many different things. She composed for stage plays and for groups of instruments. However, she mostly focused on "chamber works." This means music written for a small group of instruments, often played in a smaller room.

Her music was greatly inspired by traditional Romanian folk music. Sometimes, she even included sounds from traditional folk instruments in her pieces. Here are some examples of her works:

• Arie de Concert (1973) for a baritone singer and an orchestra.
• Măiastra (1973) for a soprano singer, a choir, and a string orchestra.
• Picolicomando (1984) for a tenor singer, a children’s choir, organ, violin, and percussion instruments.
• Yolanda (1993) for a soprano singer and an orchestra.
• Rugăciunea Domnească (1992 and 1998) which she wrote in two versions. One was for voice, string orchestra, and percussion. The other was for a male choir, string orchestra, and percussion.
• Invocatio (1999) used old Biblical texts and poems by Ovid. It was written for a soprano, piano, violin, and a small orchestra.
• Clopote la soroc (1999) was a cantata, which is a piece for a choir and orchestra.
• Retro-Tango was a fun piece for a group of bassoons.
• Inscription on a Mast was a piece for the harp.
• Odinioară was a song-cycle, a group of songs, for a mezzo-soprano singer and piano.
• Mărgele (Beads) (1962) included four songs based on poems by Tudor Arghezi.
• Imagini pe versuri de Eminescu (Pictures on Verses of Eminescu) (1963–1965) was for a soprano singer.
• Mărturisiri (Confessions) was a group of five songs for a bass-baritone singer. These songs used poems by Alexandru Voitin, her husband.
• Ponti Euxini Clepsydra (1971) was for a soprano, clarinet, oboe, percussion, and harp.
• Cântând cu Ienăchiţă Văcărescu (1983) was for a soprano, lute, viola da gamba, flute, harpsichord, and percussion.

Some of her music has been recorded and released on CDs, like:

• Polhymnia – Sacrée et Profane

See also

In Spanish: Felicia Donceanu para niños