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George Enescu (known in France as Georges Enesco) (August 19 1881, Liveni – May 4 1955, Paris) was a Romanian composer, violonist, pianist, conductor and teacher, preeminent musician of the 20th century, one of the greatest interprets of his time.
He was born in the village of Liveni, Romania, and showed musical talent from early in his childhood. His father presents him to the professor and composer Eduard Caudella, who admits him at the Conservatoire from Iassy. At the age of seven, he was guided to follow his studies at the Vienna Conservatoire. Here he studies with great professors as Joseph Hellmesberger, Robert Fuchs, and Sigismond Bachrich, graduating before his 13th birthday, granted the silver medal. In his Viennesse concerts young Enescu plays Brahms, Sarasate and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. In 1895 he goes to Paris to continue his studies. He studies violin with Armand Marsick, harmony with André Géldage, and composition with Jules Massenet and Gabriel Fauré.
Many of Enescu's works were influenced by Romanian folk music, his most popular compositions being the Romanian Rhapsodies (1901-1902), the opera Oedipe (1936), and the suites for orchestra. He also wrote five symphonies, a symphonic poem Vox maris, and much chamber music (sonatas for violin and piano, quartets with piano, a dixtuor, a chamber symphony for twelve soloist instruments).
In 1923 he made his debut as a conductor in a concert given by the Philadelphia Orchestra in New York. He also conducted the New York Philharmonic between 1937 and 1938.
He lived in Paris and in Romania, but after WWII and the communist occupation of Romania, he remained in Paris.
 Filarmonica "George Enescu"- Ateneul Român He was also a noted violin teacher. Yehudi Menuhin, Christian Ferras and Arthur Grumiaux were amongst his pupils. He promoted the contemporary Romanian music, playing works of Constantin Silvestri, Mihail Jora, Ionel Perlea and Martian Negrea.
On his passing in 1955, George Enescu was interred in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
The symphony orchestra of Bucharest is named in his honor; that city also houses a museum in his memory.
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