Șerban Nichifor

cellist

music educator

Șerban Nichifor (born 25 August 1954) is a Romanian composer, cellist and music educator.

Born at Bucharest in 1954.

1916

1997

1922

2017

Șerban Nichifor was born on 25 August 1954 to Ermil Nichifor (1916–1997) and Livia Nichifor, née Balint (1922–2017) in Bucharest, Romania.

Both his parents were physicians.

musician

conductor

His father was also a musician and conductor of the Orchestra of Physicians in Bucharest.

1973

1977

1978

1980

1984

Nichifor studied at the National University of Music Bucharest from 1973 to 1977 and took composition courses in 1978, 1980 and 1984 in Darmstadt, Germany.

1994

1990

In 1994, he received a Ph.D. in Musicology from National University of Music and from 1990 to 1994, also studied at the Theology Faculty of the University of Bucharest.

2015

In 2015, he was awarded a PhD summa cum laude in conducting, and wrote a thesis SHOAH – The Holocaust Reflected in My Musical Creation.

He has composed many works dedicated to the victims of The Holocaust.

musicologist

According to musicologist Octavian Cosma, Nichifor's eclectic style is based on neoromanticism but has included elements of jazz (in his Third and Fourth Symphonies) and the use of tape recordings as in his opera Domnişoara Cristina.

In the 1990s, he "developed a simplified style employing themes reminiscent of Byzantine chant."

Music of Șerban Nichifor is performed by leading musicians from all around the world.

February 2022

In February 2022, the Russian premiere of his work "Cries from Earth to Heaven" performed by Anastasia Vedyakova and Anastasia Bykova, took place.

The couple performed together as Duo Intermedia.

Nichifor is a professor at the National University of Music.

He married the late Romanian musician and composer Liana Alexandra in 1978.

pianist

They performed together as cellist and pianist in the Duo Intermedia from 1990 and were co-directors of the Nuova Musica Consonante – Living Music Foundation Festival.

2008

Among Nichifor's prizes and honors are the 1977 Gaudeamus International Composers Award and the Belgian Order of the Crown (conferred in 2008).

Opera, symphonic, vocal-symphonic and visual music

"Constellations" for Orchestra (1977)

Symphony I "Shadows" (1980)

Cantata "Sources" (1977)

Cantata "Gloria Heroum Holocausti" (1978)

1981

Opera "Miss Christina" (libretto by Mircea ELIADE,1981)

1985

Symphony II "Via Lucis" (1985)

1986

Symphony III "American Symphony – I" (1986)

1987

Symphony IV "American Symphony – II" (1987)

Symphony V "Pro Patria" (1987)

1988

Symphony VI "Time Archways" (1988)

Cantata "Remember" (1988)

"Missa da Requiem" (1990)

Chamber-Opera "Talaria" (libretto by Etienne DE SADELEER, 1994)

Cantata "Per Christum" (1997)

"Concerto GRIEGoriano" for Piano and Orchestra (1997)

1999

Saint

Chamber-Opera "Le Martyre de Saint Claude Debussy" (libretto after Claude Debussy and E.A.Poe, 1999)

2001

2003

Symphony VII "Cello Memoirs" (2001–2003)

2007

"Cries from Earth to Heaven" – to the Holocaust martyrs (2007)

2005

"Tribute to Joseph Smith, The American Prophet" – visual music (2005–2007)

2010

2013

Shoah – music dedicated to the Holocaust martyrs (2010–2013)

Pentagon – visual music (2010)

God Bless America! – visual music (2010)

2011

2012

Symphony VIII "Tom & Huck" (2011–2012)

2016

Symphony IX "God Bless Romania" (2016)

Piano Concerto No.2 (2016)

Homage to my Mother (dedicated to Dr. Livia Balint-Nichifor) (2017)

Chamber, choral, and vocal music

1975

"Postludium" per Organo (1975)

1995

"Sorcova" per Coro Misto a capella (1995)

1976

Quartetto per Archi I – "Anamorphose" (1976)

"Carols" per Trombone e Percussione (1978)

1979

"Invocatio" per Flauto e Celesta (1979)

"Canto di Speranza" per Flauto, Violino, Viola, Cello e Pianoforte (1981)

"Onirophonie" per Fl., Vn.e Pf.

1982

1983

"Chanson d'Antan" per Vn.e Pf.(1983)

"Carnyx" per Clarinetto (1984)

"Tango for Yvar" per Pf.(1984)

Quartetto per Archi II – "Vallons de l'Oubli" (1984)

"Aprite le porte di questo castel" per Coro Maschile (1984)

"Morendo" per Cb. e Pianoforte (1985)

"6 Melodies Irlandaises d'Amerique" per 2 Ob., C.i. e 2 Fg.

Mezzo-Soprano

"Czarna Rosa" per Mezzo-Soprano e Pf.

"7 Canti Rumeni di Natale" per 4 Trombe, 4 Tromboni ed Organo (1986)

"Horn Call Rag" per Corno e Pf.

Soprano

"Ave Maria" per Soprano ed Organo (1987)

"Isola di Euthanasios" – Sonata "sopra acqua e pietra" per Pianoforte (1988)

"Transgressio" per Fl., Ob. e Fg.

1989

"Battuta" per Percussione (1989)

"Il nome della rosa" for violoncello and piano 4 hands (1989)

"Lacrimosa" per Tenore e Pf.

"Meditatio"per Organo (1990)

1991

Missa "Actio Gratiarum Oecumenica" per Coro Misto a capella (1991)

1992

"Natalis Domini" per Coro Misto a capella (1992)

"Isihia" per Cello (1992)

1993

"Epiphania" per Cello e Pianoforte (1993)

"Rorate Caeli" per Soprano ed Orchestra da Camera (1994)

"Medium per Arpa" (1995)

"Medium per Flauto" (1995)

"3 Christmas German Chorals" for Organ (1997)

1998

"Hommage a Debussy" per 2 Pf. – ossia Pf. e Nastro Magnetico (1998)

"La Nuit Obscure" per Orchestra da Camera (1998)

"Invocation a Themis" per Sax.

Alto (2001)

2002

"Isihia" for violoncello and tape (2002)

Tu es Sacerdos (To my Mother Dr. Livia Nichifor) (2017)

Șerban Nichifor, Liana Alexandra, Anton Șuteu, Anamorphose, Incantații II, Culori, – Cvartetul Gaudeamus, Formația Musica Nova, LP, Electrecord ST-ECE 01694

417

"Olympia Romanian Concert" – "Four Tablatures for Lute by Valentin Greff Bakfark" by Sigismund Toduță, "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra" by Paul Constantinescu, "American Symphony No.4 – From West to East" by Șerban Nichifor, Audio CD, Olympia, London, OCD 417

001

Video Music Cyberart – Liana Alexandra, Șerban Nichifor – 12 Variations, Infinite Song, Sticky Dances, Video DVD, Electrecord EDVD 001, Licență Nr.

RO8AV20500382

038

Music from Romania and Belgium: Cesar Franck, Jacques Leduc, Raoul De Smet, Boudewijn Buckinx, Liana Alexandra, Șerban Nichifor – Duo Intermedia, Șerban Nichifor (cello) and Liana Alexandra (piano), Editura Muzicală, Poziție catalog 038, Licență U.C.M.R.-A.D.A.

5AF081508184

401

828

2018

Luxembourg Sinfonietta – World Premiere Recordings, “La Nuit Obscure”, Audio CD, Editions LGNM, No. 401, BP 828, L-2018 Luxembourg

2004

60x60 (2004–2005) Vox Novus VN-001

2006

002

60x60 (2006–2007) Vox Novus VN-002

The identifiers under which Șerban Nichifor may be traced in institutional catalogues.

Șerban Nichifor is established in the international name authorities as MusicBrainz 3796adf8-87f0-416e-b0a2-546a8e1b4f7b, Bibliothèque nationale de France 14807207r, Gemeinsame Normdatei (GND) 135182689, Library of Congress n79150074, ISNI 0000000063128037, Discogs 3159189, IdRef 260311359, VIAF 80015088 and Wikidata Q3895215.

1954: Șerban Nichifor born at Bucharest.

1954: Șerban Nichifor was born on 25 August 1954.

Bucharest