Gheorghe Zamfir - Master of the Pan Flute
The music world knows of outstanding performers who have taken their instruments to levels of unusual prominence, but few of them have done so with such an ancient instrument or one with such restrictive musical characteristics as Zamfir and the pan flute.
Known in his native Romania as Nai, the origins of this flute have vanished in the haze of time. Being one of the oldest and most widely used instruments in the world, it has many regional versions developed throughout millennia across many countries.
Used by shepherds since antiquity and tightly associated to the Greek god Pan (hence its name), the pan flute is composed of a series of tubes of different length, which vibrate at a different frequency when air passes through them. The number of tubes comprising the flute and their length determines the range of sound of the instrument.
Nowadays, pan flutes are made of different materials, from wood and reeds to metal, plastic and clay, and are usually called pan flute and pan pipes to distinguish those flutes made of wood and those made of reeds.
Due to their origin as a pastoral instrument, traditionally pan flutes have always been linked to folk music, but Zamfir’s merit was crossing it over to other music genres, revolutionizing the musical standards, and taking this humble instrument to new heights of expression.
Little Gheorghe’s fascination with music began early on.
At age 6, he was mesmerized by the sound of banjo and mandolin, and with these instruments he began his first steps in music. Later on, he fell in love with the accordion, playing it on live radio by the age of 12.
At the age of 14, his father enrolled him at the School of Music #1 in Bucharest. Although his initial plan was to study the accordion, he was accepted in the pan flute class of professor Fanica Luca, a famed Romanian performer of this instrument.
Gheorghe proved to have a natural talent for the flute, and soon the accordion was forgotten. This time his choice stuck forever.
After entering several musical competitions, in 1959 Gheorghe Zamfir recorded his first folk-style compositions with the Romanian Radio Folk Music Orchestra, under the direction of Radu Voinescu.
In 1961, Gheorghe Zamfir entered the Ciprian Porumbescu Music Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1968 with a degree in Orchestra and Choir Conducting. Later on, he returned to the same establishment to obtain a second degree in Pedagogy (1996), obtaining there as well his Doctorate in Music in 2005.
Following his Bachelor’s graduation, Zamfir spent the next 2 years under the wing of Maestro Constantin Bugeanu, learning the ropes of orchestra conduction.
However, by then he had already started to make his mark in the musical world, by creating a new range of pan flutes: alto, tenor, baritone, and bass (with 22, 25, 28 and 30 tubes, respectively) in order to enlarge the sound range of the instrument.
Later, in 1982, he created the contrabass pan-flute, a massive instrument with a staggering 40 tubes.
In 1966, while he was still at the Conservatory, Zamfir was appointed conductor of the Ciocirla Orchestra, a role which also allowed him to compose and arrange music for orchestral performance.
He remained in this capacity until 1969, when he created his own small music band.
In 1970, as the socio-political conditions in Romania worsened, Zamfir left Romania, moving to Paris, thanks to his contact with the Swiss musicologist, organist and music producer Marcel Cellier.
There, in 1972, the Romanian composer Vladimir Cosma recruited his talent for the soundtrack of the French comedy film “Le grand blond avec une chaussure noir”, which became Zamfir’s first cross-continental hit.
Video: Le Grand Blond Avec une Chaussure Noir - Sirba (2:05)
In 1976, the BBC’s program “The Light of Experience” acquired the rights to Zamfir’s recording of “Doina De Jale”, a traditional Romanian song, using it as the program’s opening theme.
That same year, it was released as a single in the UK and became one of Zamfir’s first top-ten hits on the charts.
This began Zamfir’s long and successful association with the filmed media.
But all these achievements were eclipsed by what came afterwards.
In 1977, he joined German conductor James Last for the recording of “The Lonely Shepherd”.
Composed by James Last, the soulful melody became a hit across the world and topped the charts for several weeks.
Used as the main theme for the Australian miniseries Golden Soak, and by Quentin Tarantino on Kill Bill: Volume I, “The Lonely Shepherd” remains one of Zamfir’s most famous and requested melodies to this day.
Video: James Last Orchestra - Lonely Shepherd (4:25)
The global popularity of the melody introduced the ancient instrument to new audiences and rescued it from its relative obscurity.
Zamfir continued touring extensively, performing, and recording, topping the pop, easy listening, and folk charts across the world, with hit singles such as “Summer Love”, “Silent Night”, “Blue Navajo”, and “Stranger on the shore”.
Thanks to his technical dexterity and extensive musical range, Zamfir also stepped into the realm of classical music, recording several LPs with compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Albinoni, Puccini, Vivaldi, Schubert and others, in addition to the classical pieces already included in his other albums.
This was a daring move for a folk instrument and for a musician considered in the realm of ‘easy listening’ music; and yet, Zamfir was up to the challenge, bestowing the revered compositions with an original musical twist for a new generation of listeners.
But Zamfir’s talent went beyond the music scene.
In 1984, the famed Italian composer Ennio Morricone approached him to perform two pieces for his “Once Upon a Time in America” soundtrack: “Childhood Memories”, and “Cockeye’s Song”.
Thanks to Zamfir’s masterful performance, the melodies add poignant overtones that enhance the emotions conveyed on the screen, leaving an indelible mark in audiences and film makers alike.
That same year, Zamfir contributed to the film soundtrack for “The Karate Kid” with a single piece inserted among Bill Conti’s orchestral score.
Although brief, its beauty highlighted perfectly the poignancy of the scene it accompanied, making it a memorable moment for the public in one of the top-grossing films of its time.
Video: The Karate Kid (2:33)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKYDg5upGFQ
The emotional charge of the piece was so accurate and memorable that it was used in the film’s sequels, The Karate Kid 2 and 3, and again four decades later in the spin-off miniseries “Cobra Kai”.
Video: Robby and Daniel, Kata Training (0:53)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnaIhcgMxbw
Having become a rather familiar name across continents, in 1985 Zamfir released "Fantasy", one of the most successful easy listening LPs ever, which comprised classical, pop and folk themes such as an "Etude" by Friederich Chopin, the Romanian folk song "Doina: Sus Pe Culmea Dealului", and Lionel Richie's "Hello".
The next year, he released "Harmony", a collaboration with conductor and composer Harry van Hoof, which reprised the formula of compiling a selection of classical, folk and popular songs, such as Mozart’s "Elvira Madigan", "Sleepy Shores" by James Pearson, and Mark Knopfler's "Wild Theme", as well as Zamfir's own composition "For my son Theo".
Thanks to the rich orchestrations by Harry van Hoof, each piece included on this LP creates a rich musical tapestry, and it's arguably one of the most accomplished of Zamfir's recordings.
Video: Zamfir - Wild Theme (3:38)
Zamfir’s masterful technique and exquisite musical expressiveness rose the pan flute to the level of soloist instrument in the orchestra.
From dark and mysterious overtones to bright sounds of jolly carelessness, Zamfir brings out a wide range of vivid emotions from the humble instrument, playing all the subtle ranges of its brilliant sounds.
Something primeval in the warm vibration of the pan flute, as played by Zamfir, seems to touch our deepest emotions like no other sound can.
This special sound quality is not only appreciated by the public, but also by musicians of a diverse range of styles, with whom Zamfir has collaborated throughout the years.
Some of these include James Last, Richard Clayderman, Andre Rieu, Seiji Ozawa, Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carreras, and many others.
For decades, excerpts of Zamfir’s recordings have been used in films, commercials, songs by other artists (such as Animal Collective’s “Graze”), and in television shows, such as RAI’s “Affari Tuoi”.
These apparitions have cemented the pan flute’s popularity in the collective consciousness, increasing the interest for the instrument and spawning a new generation of pan flute musicians across the world.
In 1991, Studio Ghibli used Zamfir’s rendition of the Romanian folk song “Frunzulita Lemn Adus Cantec De Nunta” in the soundtrack of the film “Only Yesterday”.
In 2001, Zamfir accepted the post of Associate Professor at the Faculty of Musical Interpretation of the National University of Music in Bucharest, creating the first academic Pan Flute Study Department in the world.
After finishing his tenure in that post, he also served as a professor and lecturer at the Valahia University in Targoviste.
In 2016 he was awarded the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the Ovidius University in Constata.
After nearly 60 years of musical career, in 2018, Zamfir was honored with a special concert held in Bucharest, to celebrate his extraordinary career.
The concert included many outstanding musical figures from Romania and abroad, such as Enrico Macias, Andrea Griminelli, Laura Bretan, Jean-Luc Faraux, Avi Toledano, Valentina Nafornita, and Radu Nechifor, among others.
Following this multitudinous honor, in 2022 he was awarded The Star of Romania, the highest distinction in the country, presented by the Romanian President, Klaus Johannis.
Picture: Nino Saetti
At a time when easy listening and instrumental music seem to have disappeared from the public’s preferences, Zamfir still remains a favorite due to the evocative nature of his performance.
Although purists may find his music maudlin and downright "cheesy", Zamfir’s virtuosity bestows even the simplest tune with a soul, and an energy that resonates among audiences throughout the world, for which music has no barriers.
With more than 70 albums released, countless concerts and appearances, and more than 60 years of uninterrupted musical career, Gheorghe Zamfir continues to play, tour, and teach, delighting audiences around the world with the magic and tranquilizing harmony of his timeless music.
To Learn More
*To learn more about maestro Gheorghe Zamfir, his career, and his upcoming presentations, check out his official website: https://www.gheorghezamfir.ro
*Want to see the maestro perform or find that Zamfir song that’s glued on your head? Then check out Gheorghe Zamfir’s Official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GheorgheZamfirOfficial
*Want to check all the albums recorded by the maestro? Then check out his full discography at: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gheorghe-zamfir-mn0000694325
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