Iliuț Maria

About

Maria Iliuț was born on February 23, 1955, in the village of Crasna, Bucovina, and became one of the most renowned performers of folk music in the Republic of Moldova. After completing her studies at the "Gavriil Muzicescu" Institute of Arts in Chișinău, she was discovered by ethnomusicologist Andrei Tamazlâcaru and became a soloist in the prestigious ethno-folk ensembles "Tălăncuța," "Ștefan Vodă," and "Busuioc moldovenesc." Recognized as the "Nightingale of Bucovina" for her unmistakable voice and dedication to local musical traditions, she recorded numerous folk songs at Radio Moldova and released the album "Numai cânt și dor de Bucovina" in 2004. Maria Iliuț's professional activity focused on promoting and preserving Bucovinian folklore heritage. From 1987, she taught folk singing at the Folklore Studio of the Children's Creativity Palace in Chișinău, and more recently, she held the position of senior lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the State University of Moldova. She founded and led the Ethno-Folk Ensemble "Crenguța de Iederă" at the university, a group that exclusively preserves and performs songs from Bucovina, thus being a true ambassador of the musical traditions of this region. Throughout her career, Maria Iliuț has received numerous distinctions and recognitions, including the titles of "Master of Arts" and "People's Artist" (awarded in 2020), as well as the "Isidor Burdin" Award from the Ministry of Education in 2019. She was a laureate of several prestigious competitions, including the International Competition of Romanian Singers from Everywhere in Drobeta Turnu-Severin (1989), the National Folklore Festival "Șezătoarea" in Fălticeni (1992), and the Festival of Shepherds' Songs in Târgoviște (1996). A member of the Union of Musicians of Moldova and the Bucharest-Chișinău Cultural Society, Maria Iliuț remains an emblematic figure of Moldovan musical culture.