„Folclor" Folk Music Orchestra -  artistic director and conductor - Petre Neamțu, People's Artist

This collective was founded in 1968 to preserve and propagate the Moldovan folklore - the treasure of the national culture. Over the decades, this orchestra has taken its well-deserved place among the leading Moldovan musical collectives, making an impressive number of audio and video recordings that have considerably enriched the archives of Moldovan radio and television. The „Folclor” Orchestra is praised for its special musical color, and the original, authentic style of instrumental interpretation.

 It is remarkable that the „Folclor” Orchestra contributes to the support and realization of talented young people. Many soloists - vocalists and instrumentalists who started their artistic career with this collective, became laureates of prestigious national and international festivals and festivals after the debut with the „Folclor” Orchestra.

 The orchestra is organizing concerts for the interpretation of folk music, the Romance Festival „Crizantema de Argint”, „Barbu Lăutaru”, „Tamara Ciobanu” (Republic of Moldova) folk music competitions, „Maria Tanase”, „Crizantema de Aur” (Romania). The „Folclor” Orchestra is collaborating with celebrities of the national opera - Mihail Muntean, Natalia Tanasiiciuc, famous local artists such as Vasile Iovu, Nicolae Glib, Simion Duja, Ioan Paulencu, and from Romania - Margareta Ivanus, Silvia Lungeanu, Gheorghe Turda, Florin Georgescu.

 The „Folclor” Orchestra is formed out of professional musicians who, through their mastery, have conquered the public in Moldova and abroad, evolving in Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Austria, Germany, India, Nepal, USA etc. Therefore, most of the artists of the collective were entitled with honorary titles.

Petre Neamţu was born in 1950. He graduated the „Stefan Neaga” Music College and the State Conservatory „Gavriil Musicescu”. Between 1973 - 1986 he was a professor at the „Stefan Neaga” Music College and since 1985 he is a lecturer at the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts.

 He began his artistic career in 1972, working as a conductor of the „Hora” song and dance ensemble. Since 1985 he has been the head of the „Folclor” Popular Music Orchestra.