The Faculty of Interpretation, Composition, and Theoretical Music Studies (FICSMT) at the George Enescu National University of Arts, Iași (UNAGE Iași), in partnership with the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Art (ICMA), organised a series of workshops on improvisation in contemporary jazz led by Professor George Dumitriu. The workshops, entitled Beyond the Notes: Musical Identity and Improvisation: Between Freedom and Structure, took place on 17–18 September 2025 in the Anton Diaconu Studio Hall of the University’s Artes Building.

George Dumitriu is a multi-instrumentalist (viola, violin, and guitar), performer, and composer, internationally active across jazz, improvised music, contemporary classical music, and music theatre. He is one of the most acclaimed improvisers on the violin and viola, and was mentioned twice in the 16th Annual International Critics Poll in the violin/viola category, alongside Mark Feldman and Mat Maneri.

Dumitriu’s musical journey began with classical training and later expanded into jazz improvisation. He studied with leading figures in the field, and his professional trajectory has taken him from Bucharest to Groningen, Amsterdam, and New York. He has collaborated with artists including Ambrose Akinmusire, Kaja Draksler, Samora Pinderhughes, Otis Sandsjö, Michel Godard, Ab Baars, Joachim Badenhorst, Michael Moore, and Thanasis Delighiannis.

His career is characterised by collaborations with the North Sea String Quartet, Tijn Wybenga & Brainteaser Orchestra, Sanem Kalfa (in a longstanding duo partnership), Black Sea Songs, Eve Risser’s L’ensemble Ensemble, Kaja Draksler Octet, the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, and For Real, among others.

His recent solo album Monk on Viola received widespread international coverage and was frequently included in year-end selections, including Peter Margasak’s ‘best 40 albums of 2023’ list (alongside releases by Ambrose Akinmusire, Owl Song, and Kris Davis’s Diatom Ribbons, among others) and Karl Ackermann’s ‘best 10 creative albums of 2023’ list (alongside Sylvie Courvoisier and Steve Lehman). The album was also featured in recommended new releases by The New York City Jazz Record and reviewed in outlets including Trouw, Jazzism, Citizen Jazz, All About Jazz, and Salt Peanuts.

As the leader of DUMItRIO, he released the albums Proverbe (TryTone, 2017) and Future Nostalgia (FN, 2014). He was commissioned by North Sea Round Town to develop the project George Dumitriu Hazard Ensemble. He has also appeared as a featured performer on recordings released by labels including Clean Feed, Evil Rabbit, Zennez, and Berthold Records.

In addition to his work as a musician, George Dumitriu teaches violin, viola, and guitar at the Conservatory of Utrecht.

Workshops coordinated by Lecturer Teodor Amarandei, held as part of the project International Promotion of UNAGE Iași in the Digital Environment and the Consolidation of European Values in Arts Education through Collaboration with Partner Institutions, funded by the Romanian National Commission for the Financing of Higher Education (CNFIS) through the Institutional Development Fund (FDI), under grant no. CNFIS-FDI-2025-0300.

Project Director: Professor Cristian Nae.