English

The Erbiceanu Cultural Foundation was created in 2008, by the engineer Constantin Laurenţiu Erbiceanu, great-grandson of the historian Constantin Erbiceanu (1838-1913), grandson of the anticommunist hero Ion Flueraş (1882-1953) and related to a great number of old Romanian, Armenian and Greek families. The activities of the Erbiceanu Cultural Foundation seek to preserve the family's values and traditions, by promoting professional and moral excellence. The Foundation's main instruments will be the prizes dedicated to several illustrious members of the Erbiceanu family (musicians, historians, engineers etc.) and awarded especially to young people, as a recognition of their achievements and an encouragement for their future careers. Professor Neagu Djuvara is the Foundation's Honorary President. Constantin Laurenţiu Erbiceanu (President), Filip-Lucian Iorga and Alin Saidac are the members of the Foundation's Board. 

In 2009, the Erbiceanu Cultural Foundation awards, under the auspices of the George Enescu International Contest - Piano Section, the Constanţa Erbiceanu Prize for the best Romanian competitor. Constanţa Erbiceanu (1874-1961), the daughter of Constantin Erbiceanu, historian and member of the Romanian Academy, studied the piano at the Leipzig Conservatoire (1894-1898), with Carl Reinecke and Johannes Weidenbach. She also studied with Maurice Moszkowski (who dedicated his concert for piano and orchestra to Constanţa Erbiceanu) and gave concerts in Paris, Berlin and London. Her talent was acclaimed both by the public and the critics. In 1904, she moved to Berlin, where she studied musicology at the University (1908-1911), she gave concerts and became a close friend and a disciple of the German composer Max Reger, whose works she played in Berlin and Paris. After the First World War, she started teaching at the Bucharest Conservatoire, using the "Erbiceanu method" and she is considered to be one of the founders of the Romanian piano school. Constanţa Erbiceanu was the teacher of great pianists like Valentin Gheorghiu and Silvia Şerbescu and of great pedagogues, like Eliza Hansen (the teacher of Christoph Eschenbach and Justus Frantz), Cecilia Mantta, Emilia Vlangali, Maria Şova, Theodor Bălan, Ana Pitiş or Carola Grindea (professor at the Guildhall School of Music in London and founder of the European Piano Teachers Association). She was highly admired by George Enescu, Sviatoslav Richter, Alfredo Casella, Constantin Silvestri.

The Erbiceanu Cultural Foundation finances, in order to honor the memory of Constantin Erbiceanu (1838-1913), member of the Romanian Academy, great historian, theologian and Hellenist, the translation of Saint John’s Gospel, by Mr. Cristian Bădiliţă, expert in patristic studies and writer who coordinates a fundamental project for the Romanian culture, the new translation of the New Testament (in 7 volumes). The volume which was financed by our Foundation was published in February 2010, at the Curtea veche Publishing House from Bucharest.