Vasile Popovici

Vasile Popovici first studied at the choir directors’ school in Odessa, then from 1918 at the conservatory in Iași, Romania and the Schola Cantorum in Paris. In the 1920s he taught theory in Iași and during his time in Paris he was conductor of the Romanian ensemble “Cântarea Moldovei”. In 1936 Popovici founded a music society of the same name in Iași. Upon his return to Romania, he was appointed professor of Gregorian chant and organ at the Academy of Religious Music in București (Bucharest), and then professor of music theory and history at the Chișinău Municipal Conservatory in Moldova.

During World War II Popovici became a musical advisor to Radio Bucharest and taught music history and organ at the Bucharest Conservatory. In Romania he received several national awards. From 1960 to 1964 he served as secretary of the Romanian Composers’ Union. Popovici wrote numerous choral and vocal works and was intensively engaged in the Bessarabian musical tradition.

His entry for Helsinki was Spre Tarmul Însorit (To the Sunny Shore), written in 1952 for solo voices, choir, and orchestra based on lyrics by Ioan Gh. Boldici.