Horea Crishan, violinist for the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg, is one of today’s leading pan flutists. Born in Romania, he has always been entranced by the pan flute. In 1955, when he was 10 years old, he tried out for the entrance exam at the “Special Music School” in Bucharest. In the school’s courtyard, he was joined by many children who wanted to study music as well. Crishan could not read notes but he played two or three Romanian folk songs on the violin. There was another child sitting in the courtyard who played folk songs on the accordion, and that very well. All the children were enthused. His name was Gheorge Zamfir.
Both of them were accepted, Crishan chose the violin, while Zamfir elected the pan flute. They became good friends, lived in the boarding school until their graduation, and later studied together at the Bucharest conservatory. As a student he played the violin in the student ensemble for folk music and folk dances. With Gheorge Zamfir as conductor and soloist, this ensemble often toured abroad. In 1968, Crishan became the ensemble leader because Zamfir was appointed conductor of the famous state ensemble “Ciocarlia”. So they went their separate ways. Very quickly, Zamfir became a world-famous pan flute player and travelled all over the world. In 1973, Crishan came to Germany. After a difficult audition with many candidates, he was accepted as violinist in the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg.

One day, Zamfir came to Hamburg for several church concerts for pan flute and organ. Finally, the two friends saw each other again. Crishan had admired his friend’s artistry on the pan flute for a long time. In 1979, after one of Gheorge’s concerts, Crishan was so fascinated by his pan flute playing that he decided to take up playing the pan flute as well. After a very short time, Horea Crishan had mastered the divine instrument perfectly.

In 1980, Crishan’s first album for pan flute and organ (with Marcel Cellier) was released. Within two years he became a top-notch pan flutist. A true natural, he was soon discovered by James Last, Eugen Cicero, and others. “The pan flute”, Horea Crishan says, “can unite almost all musical styles with remarkable fidelity (accuracy) and simplicity. It opens up a whole world of feelings and all dimensions of music.”

Horea Crishan appeared with the well-known jazz pianist Eugen Cicero, with the big Promenadenorchester (promenade orchestra) Alfred Hause which he joined for several tours of Japan, and the world-famous James Last Orchestra. The wide range of his repertoire includes folk music, popular music and classical music. He dazzles (fascinates) in combinations like pan flute and organ, pan flute and accordion, pan flute and harp, or pan flute and chamber orchestra.

Horea Crishan is also a very popular soloist for gala concerts. He uses pan flutes made by Gheorge Georgescu, one of the world’s best and most famous master builder of pan flutes.