The Romanian National Chamber Choir "Madrigal" is one of the most celebrated and highly thought of choral ensembles, both in Romania and throughout the world. Their fame is due to their unique singing artistry - an experience testified to by Lord Yehudi Menuhin and Elizabeth Schwartzkopf, among others, in the Golden Book, a guest book begun in the 1960's to accommodate the many international accolades and endorsements the choir has received.

The Madrigal choir was founded on the 11th of April 1963, as a component of the "Ciprian Porumbescu" Music Conservatory (now National University of Music) under the initiative of Mr. Constantin - professor in residence, together with a few post-graduate students, all choral music lovers.

They had their first concert on the 7th of July 1963, at the Music Theatre in Brasov, and their first international performance as part of the third edition of the International "George Enescu" Festival in 1964.

Conceived as a Renaissance chamber ensemble, Madrigal choir and its director, Marin Constantin, aimed to prepare and popularise the canon of the European Renaissance school in the original languages of the songs. The development and diversification of the repertoire involved the rediscovery of the great treasure of Byzantine and old Romanian music, Christmas Carols, folk influenced music and, in very short time since it was created, Romanian contemporary music and vocal-symphonic works.

The Madrigal choir has constituted, for young or experienced composers, professors or students of composition at the Music Academy, a unique musical interpreter and original laboratory of creation in which bloomed the trio composer- director-interpreter: Anatol Vieru, Miriam Marbe, Tiberiu Olah, Stefan Niculescu, Irina Odagescu, Dan Buciu and many others.

The choir was affiliated with education programs at the Music Conservatory by the activity of Marin Constantin at the Faculty of Ensemble and Choral Directing and through the presence in the ensemble of the students and post-graduate students of Music Conservatory. National Chamber Choir "Madrigal" was permanently present in the teaching activity through concert-lessons, meetings with pupils, students and professors within the musical field, symposia or special concerts for different aniversaries.

TITLES, PRIZES AND DISTINCTIONS

UNICEF Medal 1968 German Music Critics Prize 1971

Il Saggitario d'Oro - Italy 1976

Una Vita per l'Arte-David Michelangelo d'Oro - Italia 1977

Honory Diploma and Prize ,"Grand Duc Adolf" - Luxembourg 1979

Medaille en Vermeil-Luxembourg 1979

Exceptional ATM Prize for the treatise "The Art of Choral Construction and Interpretation" 1983

Madrigal Choir -UNESCO Good of Universal Cultural Patrimony 1992

Premium Magnum of M.Jora Foundation 1993

Honory Diploma Union of Romanian Musicologists and Composers 1985, 1993

TOURS ABROAD

U.S.A .- 1969,1978,1984,1988
ITALY - 1967,1971,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1985,1986,1990,1991
GERMANY - 1965,1971,1973,1974,1976,1977,1979,1980,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988, 1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1997,1999
FRANCE - 1966,1969,1970,1978,1992,1993,1996,1997
YUGOSLAVIA - 1967,1968,1969,1970,1973,1974,1978,1979,1996,1997,2005
POLAND - 1966,1972,1974,1976,1978,1979,1996,1997
ENGLAND - 1967,1970,1973,1975,1978,1981,1998,1999
HUNGARY - 1966,1976,1990,1998
BULGARIA - 1967,1972,1973,1982,1983,1987 SPAIN - 1968,1970,1990,1991,1992,1995
BELGIUM - 1968,1969,1972,1980,1983,1985,1995,1997,1999
THE NETHERLANDS - 1968,1969,1972,1980,1983,1985,1995,1997,1999
AUSTRIA - 1969,1971,1974,1995,1997 RUSSIA - 1969,1971,1974
REP.of MOLDOVIA - 1990,1994
NORWAY - 1971,1985
SWEDEN - 1974
DENMARK - 1971,1974
SAN MARINO - 1971
SWITZERLAND - 1974,1986,1992,1995,1999
CANADA - 1984,1988
PORTUGAL - 1992
TURKEY - 1973,1975,1976,1981,1987,1992,1997,1998,2005
FINLAND - 1974,1986
GREECE - 1978,1985
LUXEMBOURG - 1979,1980,1983,1985,1988
LIECHTENSTEIN - 1980,1983,1992
NORTH KOREA - 1987 JAPAN - 1990,2005

INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVALS

"George Enescu" International Festival, Romania - 1964,1967,1971,1974,1977,1981,1984, 1987,1991,1995,1998
"Dimitria Festival", Greece - 1978
"Mai de Bordeaux", France - 1966,1969,1970
"Latin Days"- France - 1978
"Wiener Festwochen", Austria - 1969
"Haendel Festival", Germany - 1965,1970,1981
"Musica Antiqua Europae Orientalis", Poland - 1966,1972
"Splitsko Ljeto", Yugoslavia - 1973
"Festivales de Espana", Spain - 1968,1970
UNICEF Festival, Paris, France - 1969
"Ohridsko Lijeto", Yugoslavia - 1967,1968,1969,1970,1973,1974,1978
"Festival de Coruna", Spain - 1968
"Festival d'Amiens", France - 1970
"Varshovian Autumn", Poland - 1966,1974,1976,1980
"Festival de Cracovia", Poland - 1979,1980
"Sagra Musicale Umbria", Italy - 1967
"Festival de Sorrento", Italy - 1973,1974,1976
"Festival de Barcelona", Spania - 1968,1970
"Festival di Tre Mondi", Italy - 1975
"Bregenz Festival", Austria - 1971,1974
"Holland Festival", The Netherlands - 1968,1980
"Festival de Finland", Finland - 1974
"Regensburg Festival", Germany - 1967,1974
"Festival de Belgrad", Yugoslavia - 1967,1970,1974,1995,1997
"Budapest Days", Hungary - 1966,1976
"Festival de France", France - 1993
"Marcian Year Festival", Italy - 1994
"International Festival, "El Camin de Santiago"", Spain - 1993
"Intenational Festival, "Gaude Mater"", Poland - 1997
"Yapi Credi Festival", Turkey - 1975,1983,1987,1992,1994,1998
"Bienale Berlin", Germany - 1970,1971,1981,1987
"International Festival of Santander", Spain - 1970
"Lucian Blaga" Festival, Kishinev, Rep.of Moldovia

LP's RECORDED IN ROMANIA

At "Electrecord" recordings studios:

"Madrigals" - ST ECE 0264
"Madrigals" - ST ECE 01851
"G.P.da Palestrina" - STM ECE 0872
"Pre-Classical Miniatures"- STM ECE 0899
"Jubilee recording for the 10th aniversary of the Madrigal Choir" - STM ECE 0825
"Contemporary Romanian Music I" - ST ECE 0416
"Contemporary Romanian Music II" - ST ECE 01127
"Contemporary Romanian Music III" - ST EXE 01767
"Romanian Christmas Carols" - ST EXE 0308
"Christ is Born Today" - ST EXE 03807
"Paul Constantinescu" - STM ECE 0723
"Madrigal sings for children"- STM ECE 01247
"Clepsidra" by Anatol Vieru - STM ECE 0952

Recordings for the "History of Universal Music" cycle
"Documents of the vocal musical cultures of Muntenia, Moldovia and Transylvania - XIV - XVI" -STM ECE 01199
"Documents of the vocal musical cultures of Muntenia, Moldovia and Transylvania - XVI - XVIII" -STM ECE 01277
"Jewels of Romanian Choral Music"- ST EXE 03747

COMPACT DISCS RECORDED IN ROMANIA

"Documents of the vocal musical cultures of Muntenia, Moldovia and Transylvania - XIV-XVIII" - ELCD 100
"Remember XXX Madrigal" - disc UNESCO - ELCD 131
"Romanian Christmas Carols"- ELCD 121 "Romanian contemporary music Remember XXX(live) - ACD 03 AAD
"Madrigals"- ACD 02 AAD
"The Passion and Resurection of Jesus" - ELCD 136
"Romanian Contemporary Music"- ELCD 158
"The Mastery of Choral Structure and Performance"- Volume ELCD 1001 (ELCD 143 - ELCD 152)
"G.P.da Palestrina" - ELDC 178
"European Renaissance" - ELDC 177
"Jewels of Romanian Choral Music" - ELDC 180
"Jewels of Romanian Choral Music II" - ELDC 212
"Romanian Contemporary Music I" - ELDC 158
"Romanian Contemporary Music II" - ELDC 236
"Romanian Contemporary Music III" - ELDC 238
"Romanian Contemporary Music IV" - ELDC 260
"Romanian Madrigal Chamber Choir", Electrecord-UNESCO ELCD 131
"Madrigal sings for children" - ELDC 237
"Merry Christmas" - ELDC 289
"Madrigals" (live) - ACD 02 AAD sponsored by EXIMBANK, Intercontmusic .
"Byzantine Orthodox Sacred Mass" - IMCD 1126
"Marin Constantin at the age of 75" -EDC 349-350
"Natalis Domini" -IMCD

COMPACT DISCS RECORDED ABROAD

"Romanian Christmas Carols" - Paris, DEESE
"G.P da Palestrina" - Paris, DEESE
"Peace Mass" by Gh.Zamfir - Philips
"Missa Criolla" by A. Ramirez-Roma, at the International Centre for the Study of Music
"G.P.da Palestrina"- in Tokyo
5 discs in colaboration with Electrecord in Germany
"Sacred Music"- DECCA Studios, with London Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Ion Marin, soloist Angela Gheorghiu
"Mysterium", with Angela Gheorghiu and the London Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Ion Marin

TELEVISION DOCUMENTARIES RECORDED IN ROMANIA

In Romania-at "Sahia" and "Romania Film" Studios:

"Renaissance Songs"-directed by Mirel Iliesiu- Winner of the Palme d'Or at the International Cannes Film Festival, 1969
"Old Romanian Songs" - directed by Mihai Iliesu, 1968
"Ancestral Dirges" - directed by Mihai Iliesu, 1969
"Ritual for the Earth's Thirst" - directed by Mihai Iliesu, 1970
"The Great Passing Through"
"Madrigal XXX"(SOTI TV)
"Madrigal XXX-a Stradivarius in Paganini's hands (TVR, directed by Georgeta Ciobanu)
"A Madrigal for Japan" - (TVR, directed by Viorel Sergovici)
"Marcian Year" - 3 films of the Madrigal choir at Venice (ANTENA 1)

TELEVISION DOCUMENTARIES RECORDED ABROAD

"Madrigalchor aus Bukarest", International Festival "G.F.Handel", Halle, Germany, 1965
"Missa Brevis G.P. da Palestrina"- "Sagra Musicale Umbra" Festival, Perugia,Italy, 1976
"New Year's Eve 1971"- French TV, 1970
"The Bucharest Madrigal Choir" - Belgium, 1972
TV documentary for "Famous choirs" cycle - Germany, 1974
"Missa Criolla"- Italy, at the International Centre for the Study of Music of Rome,1975
"Madrigal Choir of Bucharest" - Japanese Foundation for the Development of Music", 1976
"Amsterdam-Bucharest"- Netherlands TV, 1980
"Madrigal Choir at UNESCO", 1992, (by Stefan Maitek)
"Angela Gheorghiu's Romanian Journey", the Madrigal choir with Angela Gheorghiu, BBC in collaboration with TVR, 2001

Video-cassette:

Bizantyne Orthodox Sacred Mass-Intercont Music-1997

For all these extraordinary qualities and accomplishments, the General Director of UNESCO,Mr.Federico Mayor,appreciated- in Paris 1992- the ROMANIAN National Chamber Choir MADRIGAL and its conductor Marin Constantin, as "Good of Universal Patrimony " of UNESCO , and Maestro Marin Constantin was declared "Goodwil Ambassador of UNESCO".