Alexandru Ţitruş

Hungarian-Romanian gypsy violinist and orchestral leader Alexandru Țitruș was born in Uioara - known today as Ocna Mureș - on 3 March 1922, into a family of Hungarian violinists. At five he began to play the tambal and the violin, and at fourteen he made his first recordings in Bucharest.

His speciality was Transylvanian folk music. When he toured Switzerland, some critics there compared him to Enescu and Paganini. He also played in France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, USA and Yugslavia, recorded for the Romanian state record label Electrecord, appeared on TV and reluctantly entertained important guests of Nicolae Ceausescu's regime.

His grand-daughter, Ioana Osoianu, is a conductor and pianist based in London UK.

Alexandru Țitruș settled in Cluj-Napoca, where he died on 5 May 1989, aged sixty-seven.

 

A selection of articles about Alexandru Ţitruş

Old and New Worlds - Ioana Osoianu talks to Keith Bramich about her life in the East and West