Ion Marin (born 8 July 1960) is a Romanian-Austrian
conductor
Conductor or conduction may refer to:
Biology and medicine
* Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear
* Conduction aphasia, a language disorder
Mathematics
* Conductor (ring theory)
* Conductor of an abelian variety
* Cond ...
. He is internationally renowned both in operatic and symphonic domains.
Early life
Born in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, son of choir conductor
Constantin Marin
Constantin Marin (27 February 1925 – 1 January 2011) was a Romanian award-winning musician, conductor, and composer.
Biography
Marin was born in Urleta, Prahova County, Romania. He was the founder in 1963 of the and had been its conductor ...
, founder of the Madrigal Choir, Ion Marin started studying piano and violin at the age of three. He graduated the George Enescu Music College in 1979. In 1983 he graduated in composition at the National Music Academy of Bucharest, where he studied with
Tiberiu Olah Tiberiu Olah (2 January 1928 – 2 October 2002) was a Romanian composer, teacher, and musicologist of Hungarian ethnicity.
Biography
Olah was born in Arpășel village, Batăr commune, Bihor County, the son of Ioan Olah, a notary, and Maria Olah ...
and
Anatol Vieru
Anatol Vieru (; 8 June 1926 – 8 October 1998) was a Romanian music theoretician, pedagogue, and composer. A pupil of Aram Khachaturian, he composed seven symphonies, eight string quartets, concertos, and chamber music. He also wrote three o ...
. His education was completed at the Salzburg
Mozarteum
Mozarteum University Salzburg ( German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the "Mozarteum" name in Salzburg municipality; the International Mozarteu ...
with
Carlo Zecchi
Carlo Zecchi (8 July 190331 August 1984) was an Italian pianist, music teacher and Conductor (music), conductor.
Zecchi was born in Rome. A pupil of F. Baiardi for piano and of L. Refice and A. Bustini for composition, he began his career as a co ...
and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena with
Franco Ferrara
Franco Ferrara (Palermo, 4 July 1911Florence, 7 September 1985) was an Italian conductor and teacher. Among his many students are various prominent conductors, including Roberto Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Andrew Davis and Riccardo Muti.
Life a ...
.
Following his debut in 1981, he was appointed chief conductor of the Arad Philharmonic (Transylvania). He founded the Transylvania Chamber Orchestra that he toured in France and Italy in 1983 and 1985. Between 1982 and 1985 he guest conducted most of Romanian orchestras as well as orchestras in Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union.
In 1986 Marin received the Gottfried von Herder Preis-Stipendium of the Vienna University. He sought political asylum in Austria and was condemned in absence by the Romanian Ceausescu regime. He returned to conduct in Romania in 2007.
Career
In May 1987 Marin conducted Berg's ''
Wozzeck
''Wozzeck'' () is the first opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. Composed between 1914 and 1922, it premiered in 1925. It is based on the drama '' Woyzeck'', which German playwright Georg Büchner left incomplete at his death. Berg attende ...
'' at the
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...
and was hired by
Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the Berlin Philharm ...
as his assistant conductor. In February 1988 he made his official debut with ''
Maria Stuarda
''Maria Stuarda'' (Mary Stuart) is a tragic opera (''tragedia lirica''), in two acts, by Gaetano Donizetti, to a libretto by Giuseppe Bardari, based on Andrea Maffei's translation of Friedrich Schiller's 1800 play '' Maria Stuart''.
The opera ...
'' (Gruberova, Baltsa, Araiza) and became resident conductor under Abbado's tenure as music director.
Until 1991 he conducted at the Vienna State Opera a large repertoire from Mozart to Alban Berg.
In Vienna he collaborated with some of the world's greatest singers:
Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...
Thomas Hampson
Thomas Walter Hampson (born June 28, 1955) is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings.
Hampson's operatic repertoire spans a range ...
Hermann Prey
Hermann Prey ( Berlin, 11 July 1929 – Krailling, 22 July 1998) was a German lyric baritone, who was equally at home in the Lied, operatic and concert repertoires. His American debut was in November 1952, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and ...
(''
Le nozze di Figaro
''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...
''),
Ruggero Raimondi
Ruggero Raimondi (born 3 October 1941) is an Italian bass-baritone opera singer who has also appeared in motion pictures.
Life and career
Early training and career
Ruggero Raimondi was born in Bologna, Italy, during World War II. His voice matu ...
,
Agnes Baltsa
Agni Baltsa (; also known as Agnes Baltsa; born 19 November 1944) is a leading Greek mezzo-soprano singer.
Baltsa was born in Lefkada. She began playing piano at the age of seven, before moving to Athens in 1958 to concentrate on singing. She gr ...
(''
L'italiana in Algeri
''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...
''),
Hildegard Behrens
Hildegard Behrens (9 February 1937 – 18 August 2009) was a German operatic soprano with a wide repertoire including Wagner, Weber, Mozart, Richard Strauss, and Alban Berg roles. She performed at major opera houses around the world, and receiv ...
(''Wozzeck''),
Éva Marton
Éva Marton (born 18 June 1943) is a Hungarian dramatic soprano, particularly known for her operatic portrayals of Puccini's ''Turandot'' and ''Tosca'', and Wagnerian roles.
Vocal training and early years
Marton was born in Budapest, where she ...
(''
Elektra
Electra, also spelt Elektra, was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology.
Electra or Elektra may also refer to:
Animals
* ''Electra'' (bryozoan), a genus of aquatic invertebrates
* ''Elektra'' (bug), a genus of insects in the ...
''),
Giuseppe Taddei
Giuseppe Taddei (26 June 1916 – 2 June 2010) was an Italian baritone, who, during his career, performed multiple operas composed by numerous composers.
Taddei was born in Genoa, Italy, and studied in Rome, where he made his professional debut ...
(''
L'elisir d'amore
''L'elisir d'amore'' (; ''The Elixir of Love'') is a (comic melodrama, opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's (1831). ...
'').
In 1988 he received the Austrian citizenship by presidential decree, for special contribution to the Republic of Austria.
He was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of Merit by the President of Romania in 2019.
Starting with the academic year 2020/2021, Ion Marin has been appointed as Endowed Professor of the Claudio Abbado Chair for conducting by the Mozarteum University in
Salzburg
Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
. He is also the Artistic Director of the University's symphonic activities.
In January 2021, Ion Marin was awarded by the French Government the title of
Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...
.
Opera activity – highlights
Since 1988, Marin conducted in major opera houses around the world.
New productions highlights:
*Metropolitan Opera New York – ''Ariadne auf Naxos'' (1993), ''La Rondine'' (2013), ''Semiramide'' (1992), ''The Magic Flute'' (1994)
*Teatro alla Scala – ''Manon'' (2006)
*Bavarian State Opera Munich – ''Werther'' (2004, 2005), ''Eugene Onegin'' (2008)
*Paris Opera Bastille – ''Les contes d'Hoffmann'' (1992)
*Semperoper Dresden – ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (2002)
*Zurich Opera – ''La cenerentola'' (2007)
*Deutsche Oper Berlin – ''Cavalleria rusticana''/''Pagliacci'' (2005), ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (2003)
*San Francisco Opera – ''La Rondine'' (2007), ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'' (1992)
*Nuovo Piccolo Teatro Milano – ''Così fan tutte'' (1999)
*Hamburg State Opera – ''Nabucco'' (2004)
*Copenhagen Opera House – ''Billy Budd'' (2002), ''The Rake's Progress'' (2010)
*Teatro La Fenice – ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (1991), ''Le nozze di Figaro'' (1992)
Symphonic concerts – highlights
Without ever pursuing permanent positions, Marin guest conducting activity include:
* Germany: Berlin Philharmonic (2007, 2010), Bavarian Radio Symphony (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004), Gewandhaus Leipzig (1999, 2005), Staatskapelle Dresden (concerts and tours 1997–2005), Munich Philharmonic (concerts and tours 2002–2008), Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin (concerts and tours (2001–2008, 2016). Since 2014 principal guest conductor of the Hamburger Symphoniker. In 2004 he founded the Philharmonic Sinfonietta Berlin with members of the Berlin Philharmonic, that he toured between 2005 and 2008 in Europe, Japan and Korea
* United Kingdom: London Symphony Orchestra (concerts and tours 1991–1995, 2006, 2007, 2015), Philharmonia Orchestra (2004, 2005, 2007), London Philharmonic (1998, 2002, 2006), Royal Philharmonic (2012), Bournemouth Symphony (2014), BBC Scottish (2000–2003)
* France: Orchestre National de France (2004–2008), Philharmonique de Radio France (2009, 2012), Orchestre National d'Ile de France (2004–2015), Philharmonique de Monte Carlo (2002–2012), Orchestre de L'Opera Bastille (1993, 2007)
* Russia: St.Petersburg Philharmonic (2013–2016), Svetlanov State Symphony (2006–2015), Bolshoi Opera Orchestra (2009), Moscow Virtuosi (2007). Between 2004 and 2008 he was first guest conductor of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia.
* Japan: NHK Symphony (2009–2012), Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra (2010, 2013), Osaka Philharmonic (2010, 2012, 2014), New Japan Philharmonic (2008, 2011)
* Czech Republic: Czech Philharmonic (concerts and tours 2008–2013), Prague Radio Symphony (2014)
* Hungary: Budapest Festival Orchestra (2007, 2010), Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra (2011–2015)
Festival appearances between 1993 and 1996 include: Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Orchestre de Paris.
Discography
Marin's discography earned him three Grammy Award nominations (1992, 1993, 1994), a Diapason d'Or (1992) and the Echo Klassik Award (2012).
Social involvement
In 2011, Marin created in Romania the Cantus Mundi project, a social integration initiative based on choral singing and aiming to overcome all sorts of discrimination, by bringing together Romania's children, rich and poor, motion handicapped, ethnic minorities, blind, autistic and orphans. In 2014, by Governmental decision, Cantus Mundi became a National Program and is implemented throughout the country. It aims to reach 250,000 children over the next three years. The complementary part of the project, Symphonia Mundi, based on instrumental group playing has been launched in 2016.