Catalin Ilea

Catalin Ilea was born in Romania. He started playing the cello at the age of seven in his home town of Cluj, where he studied with George Iarosevici, a disciple of both Julius Klegel and Dimitrie D. Dinicu. Dinicu, who had himself been a pupil of Diran Alexanian, became then his teacher at the Bucharest Academy for Music "Ciprian Porumbescu", where Catalin Ilea finished his studies as head of his class. He then completed his studies with Enrico Mainardi, Milos Sadlo and Pierre Fournier.
Catalin Ilea became immediately afterwards first a member and, only very short time later, cello pricipal of the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra "George Enescu". At only 29 years of age he also became a professor for chamber music at the Music Academy in Bucharest. After choosing West-Germany as his new home in 1977 he occupied the cello pricipal position first with the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra and later on with the Philharmonia Hungarica. In 1994 he then became professor for cello at the Universität der Künste in Berlin.
His career as soloist started with four first prizes at international competitions in Italy, Spain and Romania and has brought him since as a guest to all major scenes in Europe, North America and Asia. In 1976 he was awarded the Premio CIAC (Centro Italiano de Arte i Cultura) in Rome - together with his wife and duo partner, the pianist Marlène Dobrea Ilea. In the same year he became a jury member of the International Competition for Cello and Composition "Pablo Casals" in Barcelona. In 1992 and 2001 he was again awarded with two distinctions of the press for his outstanding solo performances.

Universität der Künste Berlin, Bundesallee 1-12, D-10719 Berlin
E-Mail: catalin.ileaenescu.de

All rights reserved for text and picture by the artist and/or the agency.