Constantin Brailoiu

Full biography Constantin Brailoiu

Constantin Brailoiu (1893-1958) was a Romanian composer, ethnomusicologist and musicologist who was instrumental in the study and preservation of Romanian and Balkan folk music. Brailoiu was born in Târgu Jiu, Romania, and began studying music in Bucharest under renowned composers Dimitrie Cuclin and George Enescu. He also pursued studies in Paris at the École des Hautes Études and the Sorbonne, where he earned his doctorate in musicology.

Brailoiu is best known for his work as an ethnomusicologist, collecting and studying the folk music of Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece. He traveled extensively throughout the Balkans, making thousands of recordings of traditional music and dance. He was a pioneer in the use of audio equipment to record and study folk music, and his collection of recordings is an important resource for scholars and musicians today.

In addition to his work as an ethnomusicologist, Brailoiu was also a composer of classical music. His works include orchestral pieces, chamber music, and choral works, and he was an advocate for incorporating elements of traditional folk music into modern classical compositions.

Brailoiu's contributions to the study and preservation of traditional music in Romania and the Balkans were immense. He was a founding member of the Romanian Society for Ethnography and Folklore, and his scholarship and recordings continue to inspire musicians and scholars around the world.