Stanciu Simion Syrinx

Along with Gheorghe Zamfir, Damian Luca, Constantin Oprea, and a handful of other pan flutists, Simion Stanciu, who used the stage name Syrinx, was crucial to the popularizing of the pan flute in the late 20th century. Stanciu was a virtuoso pan flutist who also composed and arranged many pieces for his instrument. In addition, he performed music from a variety of genres: classical, jazz, folk, and traditional, and even rock. Stanciu often appeared in concert with piano, guitar, and organ accompaniment, and performed as soloist with the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, I Solisti Veneti, and Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra. He also played with the English rock bands Yes and tthe Moody Blues. In the classical realm Stanciu was best known for his performances of works by J.S. Bach, Boccherini, Telemann, Vivaldi, Mozart, Ravel, Bartók, Villa-Lobos, and others. Stanciu made numerous recordings, most of them available from Cascavelle and Erato. Simion Stanciu was born into a musical family in Bucharest, Romania, on December 23, 1949. He initially played the piano and then later the violin. At 14 he turned much of his focus to the pan flute, known in Romania as the nai. Stanciu's studies were at the Bucharest Conservatory. Early on Stanciu adopted the name of the mythological nymph Syrinx, who was transformed into a hollow reed plant that yielded musical pipes to the god Pan. Stanciu had limited career success in his native Romania, appearing regularly in concert but making few recordings. He toured with the Romania Folk Ballet in 1966 and 1968, making appearances at major concert venues, including New York City. Following his defection to the West in the 1970s, Stanciu's career had a meteoric rise. He played on the soundtrack of the 1981 film Quest for Fire, which featured a score by Philippe Sarde. Stanciu's 1984 Erato disc of concertos by Mozart and Quantz, and the J.S. Bach Badinerie (BWV 1067), was highly acclaimed, gaining reissue two years later on Musical Heritage Society and in 2008 on Cascavelle. Throughout the 1990s Stanciu appeared regularly in concert and on recordings and in 2000 he received Germany's International ECHO Award as best classical musician. Among his last recordings was a 2009 Cascavelle CD containing Stanciu's own Prière, for panpipes and organ, as well as works by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, Franck, and others. Stanciu died in Geneva on July 6, 2010.
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