opular in traditional Romanian music, the panpipe is used by lautaris, or professional musicians, to play dance pieces and other selections. The instruments shown here were made in Canada by Valeriu Apan, known for his interpretation of popular Romanian and Western music.

Panpipe By Valeriu Apan Edmonton, Alberta 1982 Plum, bamboo, beeswax Overall length: 36.5 cm; pipe lengths: 6.5 cm to 25.5 cm

Opus 97 - Panpipe

Panpipe By Valeriu Apan Edmonton (Alberta) 1983 Bamboo Overall length: 43 cm; pipe lengths: 7.5 cm to 33.5 cm

Opus 98 - Tilinca

The tilinca is one of the many traditional Romanian flutes. It is hard to imagine a simpler instrument: it consists of a copper tube which is open at both ends and which has no finger holes. Melodies are produced by altering the force of the breath while alternately opening and closing the embouchure. The tilinca accompanies songs and dances and is also played as a solo instrument.

Tilinca By Valeriu Apan Edmonton, Alberta 1985 Wood, copper 55.6 cm

     

Valeriu Apan

Romanian musician Valeriu Apan settled in the Edmonton area after coming to Canada in 1980 to give a series of concerts. He subsequently became the director and arranger of the Romanian Choral Group of Edmonton. Apan was introduced to the folk music of his native country at the age of twelve by an uncle who taught him to play the traditional music of Romanian shepherds. He entered the Cluj conservatory, where he studied musicology and composition, and learned to play the piano and violin. He developed a keen interest in the panpipe at this time. But, as the only such instruments on the market were mass-produced and of poor quality, Valeriu Apan began to make his own panpipes, producing fifty of them by 1984.