Vasile Martinoiu (born 2 April 1934) is a Romanian operatic baritone.[1] A long-time member of the Romanian National Opera, in 2004 he was made a Commander of the Ordinul "Meritul Cultural" (Order of Cultural Merit) for services to Romanian music.[2]
Born in a family of musicians in Tirgu Jiu, Martinoiu discovered his vocal gift in his high school years, when he sang with various school choirs. After high school, he became a student at the Cornetti Conservatoire in Craiova. Three years later he moved to the Music Academy in Iași, from which he graduated in 1958.
In 1959, Martinoiu made a successful debut at the Musical Theatre in Galați as Count di Luna in Il trovatore. The Romanian Opera in Bucharest offered him the opportunity to become a permanent soloist with their organisation.
His completed special studies with baritone Carlo Tagliabue in Milan and at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome between 1967–1968.
He has performed in numerous engagements in Europe and overseas, singing at the New York City Opera, Philadelphia Grand Opera, Baltimore Opera, and the Kennedy Centre in Washington. He has toured in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States.
He has appeared in radio and TV broadcasts in Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Dresden, Goerlitz, Leipzig, Pécs, Sofia, Moscow, and Warsaw.
He has participated in several international festivals of music and in 12 international canto competitions.
Carmen – Escamillo
La Favorite – Alfonse; Lucia di Lammermoor – Lord Ashton
Andrea Chénier – Carlo Gerard
Faust – Valentin
I Pagliacci – Tonio, Silvio
La Cavalleria Rusticana – Alfio
Madama Butterfly – Scharpless; La Bohème – Marcello, Tosca – Baron Scarpia
L’Heure espagnole – Ramiro
Il Barbiere di Siviglia – Figaro
Aida- Amonasro; Un Ballo in maschera – Renato; Don Carlo – Rodrigo; La Forza del destino – Don Carlo, Nabucco – Nabucco; Otello – Iago; Rigoletto – Rigoletto; Stiffelio – Stankar; La traviata – Germont; Il trovatore – Conte di Luna