Ion Ivan Roncea

The Romanian harpist graduated the National University of Music in Bucharest, where he was a pupil of Liana Pasquali. In 1977 and 1979 he studied with professor Pearl Chertok in New York.

Ion Ivan-Roncea is Soloist of the Bucharest George Enescu Philharmonic, Professor of harp and Doctorant at the National University of Music in Bucharest, and visiting Professor at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad (Serbia).

Roncea distinguished himself as one of Romania’s most popular musicians, playing with all the Philharmonic Orchestras in his country, and performing numerous recitals. He has toured extensively in: Austria, Germany, France, England, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Israel, Moldova, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Walles, Serbia, Slovakia, China, U.S.A., playing on important concert stages: Grosses Schauspielhaus and Mozarteum Hall in Salzburg, Schauspielhaus in Berlin, Radio Hall in Frankfurt/Main, Radio Hall and Odd Fellow Palaet in Copenhagen, Radio Hall, Saint David’s Hall and Reardon Smith Theatre in Cardiff, Philharmonic Hall in Liege, Megaro Musikis in Athens, Vigado Hall and Franz Liszt Academy of Music Hall in Budapest, Philharmonic Hall in Bratislava, Romanian Atheneum Hall in Bucharest, Palacio de Congresos-Auditorio in La Coruna, Palais des Beaux Arts in Bruxelles, L”Institut Hall in Orleans, Alfred Cortot Hall in Paris.

Ion Ivan-Roncea appeared as soloist with major orchestras such as: Vienna Philharmonic, Dresdner Philharmonic, Liege Philharmonic, Janacek Philharmonic, Bucharest George Enescu Philharmonic, Athens State Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Cardiff BBC Symphony, Prague Radio Symphony, Jerusalem Radio Symphony, Europa Symphony, Collegium Musicum Copenhagen, Paul Kuentz and Budapest Strings chamber orchestras, and the French Flutes Orchestra.

He played also in prestigeous music Festivals, such as: the Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Godollo, Maastricht, Istambul, Cardiff, La Coruna, and Bucharest George Enescu.

As soloist and/or principal harpist of the Bucharest George Enescu Philharmonic Roncea played with great conductors: Sergiu Celibidache, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Neville Marriner, Genady Rodjetsvensky, Horst Stein, Sir Charles Groves, Michel Plasson, Mendi Rodan, Erich Bergel, Pierre Bartholomee, Sergiu Comissiona, Edvard Civjel, Ronald Zollman, Cristian Mandeal, Horia Andreescu, Cristian Badea, Ferenc Gabor, Dorel Pascu-Radulescu, Ion Marin and important soloists: Wolfgang Schulz, Pierre-Yves Artaud, Janos Balint, Toke Lund-Christiansen, Pierre-Alain Biget, Gavril Costea, Virgil Francu, Ion Bogdan Stefanescu, Aurelian Octav Popa, Dan Grigore, Stefan Ruha, Martin Haselbock, Marin Cazacu, Gheorghe Crasnaru, Georgeta Stoleru, Johnny Raducanu, Maria Bildea, Ioana Nicolescu, Marisa Robles, Chantal Mathieu, Kumiko Inoue, Alice Giles, Naoko Yoshino etc.

He has been invited several times to the World Harp Congresses as guest artist and professor, and between 1985-1990 he was member of the Board of Directors of the World Harp Congress.

Ion Ivan-Roncea played and has recorded for important Radio and TV Stations: Budapest, Vienna, Jerusalem, Paris, BBC - Cardiff, Copenhagen, Frankfurt/Main, WQXR - New York, Athens, Prague, Sofia and Bucharest. Some of his best recordings made in Bucharest are incorporated in the National Treasured Sound Collection. He also has made several Records, CDs, and DVDs for the Arte Nova Classics-BMG, AIX Records and Electrecord Companies, and appeared in several programs for Radio and Television in Romania and abroad.

In October 2007 Roncea organised successfuly the first Harp Festival and Exhibition in Romania.

Many of his students or former students have an active presence on the concert stage as soloists or as members of different music enssembles. Some of them are laureats of National and International Contests: Maria Bildea, Stasha Grujic, Ioana Nicolescu, Ina Zdorovetschi, Sonja Inglefield, Judith Wunderlich, Anca Beck, Ionela Bradean, Roxana Moisanu, Anna Dermani, Gabriela Chihaescu, Miruna Vidican, Ioana Comsa. He has taught also at the Master classes in the United Kingdom, Greece, Hungary, France, USA, Austria, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Czech Republic and Holland.

He served as member of the Juries of the International Harp Contests in Israel (1988, 1992), Cardiff (1991, 1993), ASTH-Lyon (1993), Salvi-Saluzzo (1995), Geneva (1997), German Harp Contest-Weikersheim (1998), Iosef Reinl-Munich (1999), Martine Geliot-Lille (1999), Chisinau (2001), Iosef Reinl-Vienna (2002), UNMB-Bucharest (2002), Lily Laskine-Deauville (2002), ARD-Munich (2004), Belgrade (2005), German Harp Contest-Schlitz (2007), Martine Geliot-Avon (2007), European Young Musicians Competition-romanian national selection (2004, 2006, 2008).

His repertoire includes original classic and contemporary works for harp, transcriptions, pop, jazz and latin-american pieces, as well as chamber and orchestral music.

Prize for Music of the Radio Romania Cultural, 2008
Cultural Merit, Romania, 2004
Lily Laskine Award of the Harp Renaissance Society, USA, 1984
Certificate of Appreciation of the American Harp Society, 1979 and 1988
Critics’ Prize of the Romanian Association of Performing Artists, 1976
First Prize of the Sixth International Harp Contest in Israel, 1976

www.ionivanroncea.ro