Romanian Orchestra of Engineers Will Perform Free of Charge During ASME Anniversary Event (3/31/05)

A special ASME anniversary event, the April 8 performance of the Romanian Orchestra of Engineers, will now be free of charge to the public. A story in the printed April edition of ASME News indicates a ticket charge. The change in ticket cost was made after the newspaper had gone to press.

The Romanian Orchestra of Engineers is a unique testament to the music of engineering. The orchestra, which is comprised entirely of engineering and technical professionals, will perform at the Center for the Performing Arts at Stevens Institute's DeBaun Auditorium in Hoboken, N.J., April 8, at 7:30 p.m. The performance is part of ASME's 125th anniversary celebrations.

While the performance is free and open to the public, seating reservations must be made by the calling the DeBaun Auditorium at (201) 216-8937 or via e-mail at BoxOffice@debaun.org.

The Bucharest-based orchestra has performed throughout Romania and Europe for more than 50 years. Under the direction of founder Maestro Petru Ghenghea, 92, the orchestra, which has more than 130 titles in its repertoire, is acclaimed as one of the world's premier amateur orchestras. Maestro Ghenghea, who is an electro-mechanical engineer by profession, is a graduate of the Royal Music Academy in Bucharest and an accomplished cellist.

When founded in 1956, the orchestra was originally comprised of prominent scientists and teachers under the auspices of the Bucharest Institute of Railroad Engineers.

Now, some 500 concerts later, the orchestra features a multidisciplinary ensemble of mechanical, civil, chemical, electrical and design engineers who share a common vision of technical advancements along with an admiration for musical greats such as Haydn, Handel, Iosif Ivanovici, Mozart, and others.

Conductor Andrei Ilieshu, 54, a computer science engineer and graduate of the Bucharest National Academy of Music, will take the baton for the U.S. tour, which also includes a performance at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J., on April 10.

The DeBaun Auditorium is located at the Edwin A. Stevens Building on Fifth Street between River and Hudson Street in Hoboken.

The performance is being held in conjunction with yearlong events commemorating the 125th anniversary of ASME.

On April 7, 1880, the Society held its first organized meeting in what is now the DeBaun Auditorium at Stevens Institute. Through the years, ASME and Stevens Institute have provided leadership in important activities, which have advanced the professional standing and reputation of each institution, and have made significant contributions to the engineering profession.




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