Constantin Andrei
Constantin Andrei is one of the first university graduate students in Romania (1995) specialized in classical guitar. In his book „Lute- the destiny of an instrument”, Ștefan Angi is writing about Constantin Andrei (in the preface) as being „ …a leading representative of the performing arts on lute and guitar, a theorist and pedagogue of musical interpretation…”.
In 1982 he graduated the Popular Music School in Bucharest, at Simion Sihota’s class, and in 1995 the „George Enescu” Art Academy in Iași at Associate Professor Mihai Babii’s class. Since 2007 he has been Associate Professor and Lecturer at „Gheorghe Dima” National Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca and Dean at the Piatra-Neamț Music Faculty.
In his career so far he obtained a lot of prizes at national competitions such as The Great Trophy at the International Festival of Classical Guitar from Sinaia (1988), winning also in the same year at the same event, the First Prize at chamber music category where he competed together with his brother Aurelian Andrei. He is a member of chamber music groups „Trio Andrei” (three guitars, together with his brothers Aurelian Andrei and Adrian Andrei) and „Duo Melos” (guitar-violin, with the violinist Titus Flueraș).
Constantin Andrei is promoting and developing the guitar musical performance by holding guitar concerts and masterclasses in Romania and other countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Cech Republic, Austria, Spain, Belgium, Holland, China, Japan, U.S.A., etc. He has numerous recordings and TV appearances in Romania in collaboration with „Radio România” and Romanian TV channels. His work counts no less than 14 albums. He is also invited as a jury member in prestigious competitions such as the „Musical Spring” International Festival - Prague and International Festival of Classical Guitar - Sinaia. Constantin Andrei is Artistic Director of Transylvania International Guitar Festival - Cluj-Napoca and the president of the Transilvania Guitar Association.