Gheorghe Trambitas

Gheorghe Trambitas – taragot, saxophone
Romanian Wedding Songs • Cântece de nuntă românești

Gheorghe Trambitas:  Born in 1964 in Beclean, near Făgăraș in the Transylvania region of Romania, Gheorghe grew up in a musical home.   When Gheorghe was 7
years old his uncle Nicolae began to teach him accordion and so young Gheorghe started playing Romanian folk music.  His brother, John (Nelu), who was four years his senior, was already an accordionist.  When Gheorghe was in eighth grade, he began to play the fluier, a Romanian folk flute, and almost immediately began playing on the stage.   Gheorghe’s brother John had begun playing saxophone a few years earlier and shortly afterwards was given a German-made sax. John gave his brother his Romanian-made sax which Gheorghe began to play.  Gheorghe first heard the taragot in elementary school and always loved it.  Gheorghe attended the Brașov School of Music and Arts where he was taught by Ioan Heves.  In 1982 Gheorghe and his brother John formed their orchestra, Frații Trâmbițaș, and began playing weddings and christenings throughout Transylvania.  In 1984 the brothers joined the Plaiurile Bârsei folk ensemble lead by Gheorghe Tânase and under the musical direction of Ioan Ailoae.  With Plaiurile Bârsei they played concerts throughout Romania as well as in Belgium and in Yugoslavia. During this period, Gheorghe received many awards: in 1985 he received the people’s choice award at the Maria Lâtârețu folk festival.  In 1986 he received an award in duet with his brother at the Argeșule Plai de Dor.  In 1987 he received first place in all Romania both as a taragot soloist and in duet with his brother John.  In 1990, just as the old regime in Romania was crumbling, Gheorghe came to the United States with Plaiurile Bârsei.  Highlights of Gheorghe’s musical career in the United States include performances at the National Folk Festival in 1996 with Transilvania and in 2000 with Harmonia.  He performed at the ClarFest in Cincinnati in 1992 and was featured in Clarinet Magazine in 1999.  Gheorghe continues to be in demand as a soloist and with his own group performing for Romanian communities throughout the United States.

De ce căntă Gheorghe Trâmbițaș ?  Pentru că are talent. Și pentru a-i nemuri pe cei ce l-au învăţat. Cu siguranță, mai cântă pentru că este departe de casă și de cei dragi. Acesta este meritul celor asemenea lui: peste toate dificultățile de trai și de luptă cu instrumentul, va răzbate  sinceritatea interpretării și nostalgia locurilor natale. Nu știu cum este să trăiești afară, am aflat, în schimb, cun se cântă horile de-acasă acolo departe. Cred că în momentele sale de durere și singurătate, pe lângă Tatăl Nostru, cântatul la taragot înseamnă pentru Gheorghe Trâmbițaș mângâiere și balsam. Celelalte le puteți deduce singuri.
Sergiu Vitalian Vaida
TVR Cluj, România