Sabin Bălaşa

Sabin Bălaşa (June 17, 1932, Dobriceni - April 1, 2008, Bucharest) was a contemporary Romanian painter. His works are described by himself as belonging to cosmic Romanticism. He was also an author, writer and director of animated painting films.

In 1956 he graduated the Art Academy in Bucharest and he followed the courses of Art Academies from Siena and Perugia – Italy. He naturally started from the traditions of the Romanian art, which he assimilated in a creative way, and studied with interest and fervor the history and mythology of the Romanian people, pledging himself to conjure up a fascinating universe of great expressive power, conveying to the onlooker an impression or a rare strength.

Universe of love

Among Bălaşa's most notable works are several large-scale fresco paintings, which decorate the inside of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi. The Hall of the Lost Footfalls was painted over a period of 10 years and consists in 18 great wall paintings. Main themes include youth, the history and poetry of the Romanian people.

The Ball of Phantoms

Whether he painted such heroes of the national pantheon as Decebalus, Stephen the Great, Bălcescu or Eminescu, evoked characters of legend, epic or ballad or creates images living beyond time and space, Sabin Bălaşa constantly remains faithful to the most generous and noble human ideals.

Traveler in Time

He had many personal exhibitions in Warsaw (1955), Moscow (1958), Cairo, Alexandria, Damasc (1960-1961), Youth Biennial in Paris (1961), Pescara – Italy (1965), Roma (1966), Orly (1968), Torino, Roma (1969), Tel-Aviv, Yugoslavia, Bulgary, Japan (1970-1972), Conges sur Mer – France (1973), Cuba (1974), Greece, Russia, Finland (1976), Norway, Sweden, USA (1978) and many others. Some of his works are exhibited in many museums and are part of private collections all over the world.

Vision

Between 1966 and 1976 he created and directed 12 animated painting films. He was a member of the Jury at the international festivals of the animation films - Annecy (France - 1973). He has written novels such "The Blue Desert" (1996), "Exodus Toward The Light" (2002).

The Cavalcade

Wedding Traveling in Space

Images from here. Visit for more!

Emil Loteanu

Emil Loteanu (November 6, 1936 – April 18, 2003) was a renowned film director, film writer and writer (poetry and short stories) from Moldova.

Loteanu was born in Clocuşna, Hotin County, Kingdom of Romania (now Ocniţa district, Moldova Republic). After the annexation of Bessarabia by the USSR in 1944, Emil remained in Rădăuţi, together with his father. He studied at St. Sava College in Bucharest and after the death of his father in 1949 he illegally went in Moldova, but he was caught and handed over to Romanian border guards, who sent him to Bucharest, where his mother worked at the Soviet Embassy. In 1952 he asked to be repatriated and lived his early life on the streets, sleeping in warehouses and hostels. Between 1953-1954 was an actor at the Drama Theater "Pushkin" from Chişinău. He attended acting classes at the School of the Theater Academy of Art (MHAT) in Moscow (1954-1956) and directing at the Union Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in in Moscow (1956-1962). After graduating, Loteanu was hired in 1962 to Moldova-Film studio, working in the period 1973 to 1983 as director at the Mosfilm Studio in Moscow. In 1968 he joined the CPSU.

He made his directorial debut with Bolshaya gora in 1960, then his debut as a writer of feature films was in 1963, with Aşteptaţi-ne în zori (Expect us at dawn, 1963) at the Moldova Film Studio, and continued to make films there until 1975, when he joined Mosfilm. With films such as Lăutarii (English: The Fiddlers, 1971), Şatra (Russian: Tabor ukhodit v nebo English: Queen of the Gypsies, 1975), Gingaşa şi tandra mea fiară (Russian: Moy laskovyy i nezhnyy zver, English: A Hunting Accident, 1977), and Anna Pavlova (1983) Loteanu began to attract international attention. For his films, he received prizes at film festivals in San Sebastian, Naples, Milan, Belgrade, Minsk, Prague, Paris.

Between 1987-1992 Loteanu was president of the 'Filmmakers Union of Moldova'. He was instrumental in the formation of two promotions for film directors in the 'Upper School of Directing'. He founded the 'Phoenix-M Association of Experimental Creation', the theater and film magazine 'Magic Lantern', and was author of the television show 'Searching for a Star'. Emil Loteanu taught at the 'Art Institute of Chişinău'; among the young actors trained by Emil Loteanu were Svetlana Toma, Grigore Grigoriu, and many other.

He received the titles of 'Honored Master of Art in Moldova' (1969), 'People's Artist of Russian Federation' (1980), 'Honorary member of the International Academy of Film Nike'. He also received the 'State Prize' and the 'Order of the Republic'. In 2001, received the 'Award for Excellence in Art Directing', awarded at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest.

Ioan Holender

Ioan Holender (born Johann Hollaender, born 18 July 1935, Timişoara) is a Romanian singer, manager and director of opera. He is the General Manager of the Vienna State Opera.

Holender's family is of Jewish ancestry, and growing up, he spoke 3 languages. His father owned a factory in Timişoara, which was expropriated in 1948. After baccalaureate, Holender studied for three years mechanical engineering at the Technical University in Timişoara, specialty steam machines and successfully completed the first round of the state examination. While in third year of studies, in 1956, he was expelled from the whole Romanian higher education system on political grounds, following his participation at students movements. He worked as a tennis coach and a stage director assistant until he and his family emigrated to Austria, where his mother was residing. He intended to continue his engineering studies, but became interested in singing. After completing his music studies - Canto at Vienna Conservatoire (1959-1962), from 1962 to 1966 he started a career as an operatic baritone and concert singer and sang two seasons at the Klagenfurt Stadttheater.

In 1966, he began to work at the Starka theatrical agency, which he eventually took over and, under the name of Holender Opera Agency, increased the prestige and made it one of the most important German Agencies.

In 1988, Eberhard Waechter named Holender as Secretary-General of the Vienna State Opera, effective as of 1991. There was controversy as this appointment, because of perceived conflicts of interest between this post and his prior association with his theatrical agency. Eventually, Holender dissociated himself from the Starka business. After Waechter's death in February 1992, Holender became Director of the Vienna State Opera on 1 April 1992. He also led the Vienna Volksoper for 4 years simultaneously. Holender's contract was extended three times and his tenure is scheduled to conclude on 31 August 2010. At the conclusion of his tenure, he will have been the longest-serving general director in the history of the Vienna State Opera.

In the years 2002 – 2004 he was artistic consultant of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Since 2003 he is honorary president and artistic director of the George Enescu Festivals in Bucharest / Romania. In addition he is a guest lecturer at the Vienna University Institute of Theater, Film and Media Sciences and at the Danube University Krems. Further he is a jury member for several international singing-competitions.

He has received five honorary doctorates and is a recipient of the Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria and the Gold Medal for meritorious service to the State of Vienna, the Award in Gold of the State of Vienna as well as the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art I. Class. In 1999 he was appointed "Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French Republic. He is Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy.

Ioan Holender is an Honorary Member of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Volksoper. He holds the Clemens Krauss Medal given by the Vienna State Opera chorus, the Golden "Franz Schalk" Medal given by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and has also been awarded the honorary citizenship of his native town Timisoara. During the first tour of Vienna State Opera in Bucharest (George-Enescu-Festival) in September 2001 he has been decorated with the most important Romanian medal. In December 2002 he received the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. Further he received the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold of the Italian Republic in June 2004 and with this has been appointed "Commendatore". In May 2005 he was awarded the „Europäischer Kultur Initiativ Preis“ of the European Foundation for Culture Pro Europa and the Prize for a long life activity dedicated to culture and for the contribution to the assertion of the Romanian values throughout the world, awarded by the Romanian Cultural Foundation.