Ancient:

Born in a family of musicians (father was a great bass player, while also teaching violin, mother – a piano teacher and musicology doctor, while my sister plays the violin), it’s difficult to say whether for me music was a conscious choice or a natural continuation of the vibration I woke up to each day. My father’s vinyl and cassette collection opened my eyes and soul toward what would eventually grow into a passion and a way of life. Queen, Deep Purple, Kiss, Alice Cooper, King Crimson, and Pink Floyd was what I listened to with my father at home or as he played them himself live with his bands. Haydn, Schubert, and Rachmaninov, on the other hand – I learned to love these by my mother’s side.

High school brought me metal: Accept, Tiamat, Satyricon, Sepultura, Carcass, Dimmu Borgir etc. I loved playing black metal bands’ keyboard parts on the piano, since I didn’t have a keyboard of my own back then.

My first keyboard (I still love you, Yamaha PSR 47!) came at the end of high school, when I joined the band Cromleh (black metal, 2004-2007). One of my fondest memories with this band was sharing the stage with my father as he played bass for two gigs.

As a student at the Conservatory in Iași (piano, obviously), I briefly collaborated with Ten Years Gone (alternative - progressive hard rock) before I joined Hathor (melodic black/death metal) for (ironically) 10 years. Daily News Band (modern rock, cover band) was my musical shelter for 3 years after that, until 2016.

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Darken my Grief:

Listening to the album Blightingales of Darken my Grief craft, I was struck by the songs’ compositional complexity, as well as by the breadth of the instrumental writing. I instantly felt I wanted to be part of this project, because here is where I could shine as an interpreter. I always dreamed of having an active role in a band, instead of just “ambiance”, and this time I really feel that I identify with this music.

 

Currently:

The present finds me still glued to the piano, as a professor at the Arts high school and the Arts Faculty, as well as assistant music master at the National Opera and Musical Comedy Theater in Galați. This is when I am not rehearsing or composing for the new Darken my Grief opus.

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