Ovidiu Marinescu
Ovidiu Marinescu, one of Romania’s most outstanding musicians, brings great charisma, precise technique, and powerful musical inspiration to the podium. His guest conducting engagements have included performances with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra in Moscow, the National Radio Orchestra of Romania, the “New Russia” State Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica de Gaia in Portugal, and the Orquesta de Extremadura in Spain, where he performed both as conductor and soloist. He has also worked with numerous Romanian philharmonic orchestras, including those in Bacau, Targu-Mures, Craiova, Ploiesti, Botosani, Targoviste, and Brasov. In the United States, he has appeared as a guest conductor with the Helena, Newark, and Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestras.
As Director of the West Chester University Symphony Orchestra, Marinescu led the ensemble to a sold-out debut at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, a European tour, and an invitation to perform at the prestigious Catania International Festival in Sicily. He has served as conductor of the Wilmington Orchestra, Music Director of the Immaculata Symphony and the Manalapan Orchestra in New Jersey, and conductor of the Goppisberg Festival Orchestra in Switzerland. Additionally, he conducted the world premiere of Helen Keller, a ballet by the Rebecca David Ballet Company in Philadelphia, and is a frequent guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra Society.
Marinescu has recorded extensively with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, performing works by Tchaikovsky, Samuel Barber, Michael Cunningham, Rain Worthington, Stephen Limbaugh III, David Laganella, and Andrea Clearfield. A recent collaboration with the “New Russia” State Symphony Orchestra featured trombone soloist Haim Avitsur in concertos by Maurice Wright, David Loeb, Carson Cooman, Diane Jones, and David Brown. As a Parma Recordings artist, Marinescu has recorded La Leyenda del Kakui by Osias Wilenski with the Tapestry East Ensemble and Symphony No. 3 “Shaker Hymns” by Alan Beeler with the Targu-Mures State Orchestra and Choir. He is also a frequent guest conductor at student festivals, including PMEA Districts 10, 11, and 12 in Pennsylvania, the Double AA Regional Orchestra in Montana, and the All-Catholic Schools Festival in Philadelphia.
As a distinguished cellist, Marinescu was selected to perform at Carnegie Hall for Romanian President Constantinescu during an official visit to the United States. Soon after, he made his debut with the New York Chamber Symphony in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, followed by recitals at Merkin Hall (New York), in Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. In collaboration with Parma Recordings, he has been a regular performer at Weill Hall in New York. After his debut with the National Radio Orchestra of Romania in Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto, which was broadcast live across Romania, he returned for multiple performances of works by Mozart and Iorgulescu. As both soloist and conductor, he appeared with the Radio Chamber Orchestra, performing works by Boccherini, Beethoven, and Glinka. Other notable performances include Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and the Slobodkin Center, Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Helena, Newark, and Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestras, and Shostakovich and Lalo concertos with the Cleveland Philharmonic.
His discography includes the acclaimed Fiesta Latina, as well as a recording of the complete Miaskovsky cello works with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Kenneth Boulton, released by Cambria. His interpretation of Bach’s Cello Suites, released by Navona Records, has received international praise. His recording of Arthur Gottschalk’s Sonata for Cello and Piano with Janet Ahlquist was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2014 Global Music Awards.
Marinescu has performed at festivals in Luzerne, Bayreuth, Chautauqua, Portsmouth, South Bohemia, Orlando, and Brasov, as well as at the New Hampshire Music Festival and the Magie Barocche Festival in Italy. As a chamber musician, he was a member of the Adirondack Ensemble from 1995 to 2002, performing over 200 concerts annually, presenting school programs, and co-founding the Adirondack Music Camp. He is currently a member of Trio Casals.
A graduate of Romania’s esteemed National Academy of Music, Marinescu won First Prize and the Music Critics’ Award at the George Dima Cello Competition. In the United States, he studied with Wolfgang Laufer at the University of Wisconsin and with Orlando Cole at Temple University. He has received numerous honors in Romania and has performed with major orchestras, including those in Cluj, Iasi, and Brasov. Additionally, he toured with the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra. Marinescu premiered Anecdote for cello and orchestra by Hilary Tann with the Newark Symphony and gave the first performance of Ostinato by Liviu Marinescu with Orchestra 2001 in Philadelphia.
His recent premieres include a new concerto by Kyle Smith with the Helena Symphony and The Sea Knows by Michael Kurek in Brazil, later recorded with the Vanderbilt Orchestra. Penn Presents featured him in a multimedia program at the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, performing solo cello works with film and electronic elements created by local teams of composers and filmmakers. An ASCAP member, Marinescu has composed several works for solo cello and chamber ensembles and has created numerous arrangements for small ensembles. He is currently an Associate Professor at West Chester University.
