Ovidiu Marinescu

Who is Ovidiu Marinescu?

Ovidiu Marinescu, a musician of exceptional artistry, is internationally recognized as a conductor, cellist, composer, and educator. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Merkin Hall (New York), the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Holywell Room in Oxford, Oriental Art Center in Shanghai, and many other prestigious places. A frequent soloist, he has appeared with the New York Chamber Symphony, the National Radio Orchestra of Romania, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Helena and Newark Symphonies, Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Philharmonic, Limeira Symphony in Brazil, Orquesta de Extremadura in Spain, and most of the orchestras in Romania. Recent performances include appearances with the Helena, Great Falls, Portsmouth and Immaculata Symphonies, Craiova and Bacau Philharmonic in Romania, Millersville Orchestra, Vanderbilt Orchestra, Independence Sinfonia, a 2-week tour of China and yearly recitals at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Last year he was a member of the jury and guest professor for the 1st edition of the “Greenhouse Foundation Awards and Festival” in Seoul, Korea and composer-in-residence for the International Chamber Music Festival in Guatemala City and the 8th edition of the String Encounters in Limeira, Brazil.

In 2020 Marinescu’s online concerts for New Music America, to benefit the “The New Music Solidarity Fund” for musicians affected by Covid-19, have attracted thousands of views and critical acclaim. Entitled Moto Virtuo, this is an extension of Marinescu’s ongoing MOTO series, developed with Parma Recordings, which has been praised as “bold and expressive” (Gramophone Magazine) and “tight, musical, technically virtuosic” (The Whole Note). Since its launch in 2012, the MOTO series has premiered works by nearly three dozen composers in both recordings and performance at Carnegie Hall.

Marinescu has more than 15 album releases for Parma Recordings and Cambria as a cellist, conductor, or chamber musician, and several recordings released independently. His first recording - "Fiesta Latina" - was followed by a recording of the complete Miaskovsky cello works with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Kenneth Boulton released by Cambria. His recording of the Bach Cello Suites, released by Navona Records, has received international critical acclaim. The recording of the Arthur Gottschalk Sonata for Cello and Piano has received the Gold Medal at the Global Music Awards for 2014 and the recording of “The Sea Knows” by Michael Kurek made its debut as no. 1 on the Classical Billboard list in July 2017. Upcoming projects include the recording for 8 new cello concerti with London Symphony.

Marinescu has commissioned and performed many new works for cello solo. Penn Presents featured Marinescu in a multi-media program at the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia featuring works for solo cello, film and electronics by local composers and film makers. In 2000, Marinescu premiered with the Newark Symphony "Anecdote" for cello and orchestra by Hilary Tann, followed by the first performance of "Ostinato" by Liviu Marinescu with "Orchestra 2001" in Philadelphia. In January of 2015 he performed the premiere of a new work for cello and orchestra by Kile Smith, commissioned for him by Helena Symphony.

Equally successful as a conductor, Marinescu has worked with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra in Moscow, the Chamber Orchestra of the Romanian Radio, “New Russia” State Orchestra, the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, the Bacau, Craiova, Ploiesti, Botosani, Targu Mures, and Brasov Philharmonics in Romania, Filarmonica de Gaia in Portugal, Orquesta de Extremadura in Spain, the Helena, Newark, and Southeastern PA Symphony Orchestras, as well as Vidin Sinfonietta in Bulgaria. He served as the Music Director of the WCU Symphony Orchestra, Immaculata Symphony and Manalapan Orchestra, as well as conductor for the Wilmington Orchestra and Goppisberg Festival Orchestra in Switzerland.

Marinescu’s composition for solo cello, chamber music and orchestra have been performed in Romania, China, Brazil, Bulgaria, Russia, Guatemala, Montenegro, and across the United States. Parma Recordings included “I’m All Ears” for solo cello on the album Moto Celeste and “Rorrim no. 1. A Sort Essay” on the album Through Glass, and his piano trio “The Journey” for the album A Grand Journey.

Marinescu is cello professor at West Chester University in Pennsylvania as well as founder and Artistic Director of the International Musicians Academy, an intensive program for aspiring artists to collaborate with Vidin Sinfonietta, a professional orchestra in Bulgaria, and to perform in masterclasses held by internationally recognized faculty.

Info as of December 25, 2021

More information can be found at www.marinescu.com