Born 28th
of June 1951, Cluj/Romania. Graduate of the
Faculty of Letters, Cluj University – 1974. Main objects of study:
English & German; secondary objects of study: Spanish &
Portuguese. 1971-1983: member of the editing staff of the Echinox
cultural magazine; since 1981: member of the Writers´ Union of
Romania; since 1983: member of the editing staff of Jazz Forum, the
International Jazz Federation´s magazine, published in Warsaw; since
1990: member of the editing staff of Steaua, cultural monthly of the
Writers´ Union; since 1992: lecturer at the Music Academy G. Dima in
Cluj; since 1993: honorary member of the United Stats´ Jazz
Journalists Association (JJA); since 1996: member of
PEN-Club/Romania; since 1998: honorary member of the Czechia-Romania
Cultural Association; since 1999: the first Romanian to become a
member of the Down Beat Jazz Critics‘
Poll.
Published
books: Legea conservarii adolescentei / Law for the
Conservation of the Adolescence (Dacia, 1977); Sighisoara, Suedia
si alte stari de spirit / Sighisoara, Sweden and other States of
Mind (Albatros, 1980); Indicatiuni pentru balerina din
respiratie / Directions for the Ballerina Inside Breath
(Eminescu, 1981); Cutia de rezonanta / The Resonance Box –
Eassays on Jazz from the Perspective of Today´s Culture (Albatros,
1985); Poeme / Poems (Dacia, 1986); Jazzorelief (Nemira,
1993); Paradis pierdut in memorie / Paradise Lost in Memory
(Cartea Romaneasca, 1993); Incantari & descantari clujene
/ Canticles & Enchantments of Cluj (Dacia, 1996); Recensamant
de epifanii/Census of Epiphanies (Paralela 45, 1999) – bilingual
volume of poetry translated into English by Adam J. Sorkin; Jazz
Connections in Portugal (Alfa Foundation, 2001) – essays
conceived directly in English. Co-author of the following volumes:
Russian Jazz New Identity (Quartet Books, London/UK, 1985);
Jazz in Europa (Darmstaedter Beitraege zur Jazzforschung,
Wolke Verlag, Hofheim/Germany, 1994). Included in the following
poetry anthologies: Jahresring 79-80
(Deutsche-Verlag-Anstalt, Stuttgart/Germany, 1980); Erkezo
szel (Tankonyvkiado, Budapest/Hungary, 1986); Young Poets of
a New Romania (Forest Books, London/UK, 1991);
Streiflicht (Donysos, Kastellaun/Germany, 1994);
Transylvanian Voices (The Romanian Cultural Foundation,
Iasi/Romania, 1994); Savremenik (Apostrof,
Belgrade/Yugoslavia, 1995); Gefaerliche Serpentinen (Galrev
Verlag, Berlin/Germany, 1998); Vid tystnadens bord
(Symposion, Brutus Ostlings Forlag, Stockholm /
Sweden,1998).
Debut prize
for poetry of the Dacia publishing house – 1977; distinguished with
the "Amicus Poloniae" honorary badge by Poland´s Ministry of Culture
– 1984; poetry prize of the Writers´ Association Cluj – 1994;
"Poetry Book of the Year" prize at Salonul national de carte – 1996;
poetry prize of the Writers´ Union – 1998.
Contributions with poems, essays, literary, musical &
choreography criticism, translations (from English,German, Spanish,
Portuguese, French, Russian, Swedish, Italian) to the majority of
Romania´s cultural magazines. Contributions to cultural magazines in
Germany, Poland, Great Britain, Latvia, Switzerland, Russia, Turkey,
Hungary, USA, France, Yugoslavia, Austria, Canada,
Italy. After 1993, co-founder of Jazzographics,
a loose jazz-poetry outfit displaying various stage combinations of
the following artists: Alan Tomlinson/trombone (member of the London
Jazz Composers´Orchestra), Harry Tavitian/piano, Corneliu
Stroe/percussion, Virgil Mihaiu/poetry, bass-guitar; Livia
Tulbure-Guna/choreographic improvisations. Performances of own
poetry, spoken in various languages, either together with
Jazzographics, or alone, in Ireland, Scotland, Romania, England,
Yugoslavia, Germany, Northern Ireland, France, & at the World
Exhibition in Lisbon/Portugal, 1998. Jazzology lectures
delivered at various universities and institutes, participation as
guest in congresses and festivals (Sweden, Romania, Germany, Greece,
England, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Scotland,
Turkey, France). 1999-2000: grantee of
the Instituto Camoes of Portugal‘s Ministry for External Affairs;
2000: participation in the F. Scott Fitzgerald World Congress held
in Nice/France; 2001: lectures, recitals & documentation tour
through universities and cultural institutions of the USA (New York,
Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco, Stanford, Boston, Chicago,
Berkeley). Since 1980: producer of the regular Eseu
Jazz broadcast on Radio Cluj, switching in 1997 to CD Radio Napoca.
After 1994: producer of the regular Jazzorelief TV broadcast, on
Romania´s First National Programme (TVR 1). Guest producer of
cultural programmes on Swiss Radio (Bern, Lugano & Lausanne
Studios). Contributions to Radio Stockholm, BBC, Romanian Radio
& TV, Radio & TV Cluj, Radio & TV Chisinau, Free Europe,
Sender Freies Berlin, Yugoslovenska Televizija, Radio France
Internationale. Interviews granted to International Herald Tribune,
T A Z (Germany), BBC Romanian & Russian Services, Scottish BBC
Edinburgh, WDR Koln (Germany), Free Europe Prague (Czechia),
Politika (Yugoslavia), Deutsche Welle, Voice of America/Washington.
Co-producer/liner-notes author of records issued in Romania,
Lithuania, Great Britain, Russia, Germany, France, Switzerland.
Traditional Romanian music tour through Switzerland and France,
emceed in 1996. Jazz Aesthetics lecturer at the Jazz Department,
after its establishment in 1997 as part of the Music Academy in
Cluj. After 1995: author of musical collages
for visual essays by architect/stage designer/director Horatiu
Mihaiu, staged at theatres in Cluj, Ramnicu-Valcea, Sfantu Gheorghe,
Sibiu, Targu-Mures, and at Hungary´s Cultural Centre in
Bucharest. Filmed versions of V.M.`s poetry: The
Voice of the Poet / by Radu Tuculescu (Cluj TV Studio, 1994);
Paradise Lost in Memory / by Alex Huppert and Virgil Mihaiu (Vipcom
TV Studio Arad, 1996, 35 min., Super VHS – colour). The latter has
been presented at alternative film festivals in Edinburgh/Scotland,
Gyor/Hungary, Belgrade/ Yugoslavia, Graz/Austria, Kosice/Slovakia,
Paris/France. |