Maria Chefaliady-Taban

Maria Chefaliady-Taban (4 November 186311 June 1932) was a Romanian pianist, music educator and composer. She composed romantic-style works with folk elements, typified by her choral composition Hora carturarului Urechia (Scholar Urechia’s Ring Dance). She performed Bach, Schumann, Beethoven and Greig as a concert pianist, and taught singing. Students of Chefaliady-Taban include Mircea Stefanescu.

Life Chefaliady-Taban was born in Iaşi and studied at the Iaşi Conservatory, studying piano with Anetta Boscoff and theory and solfege with Enrico Mezetti. Chefaliady-Taban was offered a scholarship to stay another year in Vienna, but was homesick for Romania. On her return to Bucharest she married Vasile Taban, a cashier at the Ministry of Finance, but the couple divorced after five years.

After completing her studies, Chefaliady-Taban performed as a concert pianist, debuting on 11 November 1880, and performing works by Bach, Schumann, Beethoven and Greig.

Works Chefaliady-Taban's style has been called romantic, and she incorporated folk-lore into her compositions. She composed choral works and songs. Selected works include: Hora carturarului Urechia (Scholar Urechia’s Ring Dance) choral work (1901) Imnul studentilor universitari romani (Romanian Students’ Anthem) (1901) Atit de frageda (So Tender) (1900) O, ramii (Oh, don’t Go) (1905)