Gabriel Barbalau - Contrabass

Gabriel Barbalau makes his contrabass sing like a cello, the instrument with which he initially

started his formal musical education at the “George Enescu” musical institute in Boekarest. In the Netherlands he finished his studies as a contrabass player at the Dutch Royal Music Academy at the Hague and at the Amsterdam Music Conservatoire.

As a member of the Romanian folk ensemble “Ciocarlia” he toured through the USA, France Germany and Italy. Together with pan-flutist Nicolae Pirvu he made several recordings and toured extensively over the major world stages. In 2004 he collaborated with Rudolf Werthen’s in his production of Piazzolla’s “Maria de Buenos Aires”. He has also been the lead contrabass player at the Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra .

At the present moment he is a member of the Dutch International Dance Theatre. And participates in several world-music projects as the “Romanian Gipsy Quintet”, “Orkest De Shabab” and “Ensemble Tombaz”.