Anton Pann is today one of the emblematic names of Romanian culture, known for the diversity of his talents: he was a composer, folklorist, poet, printer, teacher, and creator of popular literature. Although his life was closely connected to Râmnicu Vâlcea, where he worked as a music teacher and church singer, his origins lie beyond the present borders of Romania.

From Silven, in the Ottoman Empire, to the hearts of Romanians

Few know that Anton Pann was born in 1796 in Silven, a prosperous town in eastern Bulgaria, then part of the Ottoman Empire, into a mixed family: his father, Pantoleon (or Pandoleon) Petroveanu, was of Aromanian origin, while his mother, Thomaida, was Greek.

The family was modest but educated. Young Anton, the youngest child, was guided toward reading and music, as his parents hired a private tutor for him. However, the lack of reliable records from his first twenty years makes it difficult to separate fact from legend during this early period.

During the Russo-Turkish War, Anton lost his father and took refuge in Chișinău with his mother and brothers. His two older brothers joined the Ottoman army and perished during the siege of Brăila. 

Left alone with his mother, Anton found work as a psalm singer in a church in Chișinău, where his warm, melodious voice earned him admiration. There, he learned the Russian language and began to grow closer to Orthodox spirituality and music.

The road to Bucharest and his musical formation

In 1812, due to the war, young Pann moved with his mother to Bucharest. The capital city fascinated him with its diversity and vibrant cultural life. He worked as a psalm singer at the Olari Church and the “Cu Sfinți” Church on Calea Moșilor. 

In 1816, he enrolled in Dionisie Fotino’s school, a well-known master of Oriental music, and later studied under Petru Efesiul, a specialist in transcribing psaltic music.

This period was essential for his artistic formation. Pann absorbed Byzantine, Phanariot, and Balkan influences, as well as Western musical elements, which he later blended into a distinctive personal style. His employment at a church music printing press opened the way for a career as an editor and translator. 

Metropolitan Dionisie Lupu entrusted him with translating church hymns into Romanian, which brought him wide recognition in ecclesiastical circles. Unfortunately, no copies of his first printed Axion (1820) have survived.

Teacher in Râmnicu Vâlcea and an inspired composer

After spending some time in Brașov, where he had taken refuge during Tudor Vladimirescu’s uprising, Anton Pann married Zamfira Agurezean and began composing musical works such as Ifosul vechi național. In 1826, he was appointed music teacher at the Episcopal See of Râmnicu Vâlcea and church singer at the “Annunciation” Church.

Râmnicu Vâlcea became a defining place in his life. Here, he taught, composed, and inspired young musicians. However, his personal life was full of turmoil. An affair with the niece of the abbess from the Dintr-un Lemn Monastery forced him to return for a while to Brașov, from where he later moved back to Bucharest with his mistress. Eventually, they returned again to Brașov, unable to adapt to life in the capital.

In 1830, he was appointed professor at the National Music Schools in Bucharest, where he adopted the name by which he would forever be known — Anton Pann. From that moment on, his life became an ongoing pursuit of creativity, combining music, poetry, and language with relentless dedication.

Writer, translator, and visionary printer

Besides his musical activity, Anton Pann dedicated himself to writing and publishing. He translated religious hymns, psalms, and liturgical texts, learned French, and published volumes of poetry and fables. He returned to Vâlcea in 1836 but left again after a quarrel with his lover. A fire destroyed part of his printed works, yet he refused to give up.

Back in Bucharest, he married an 18-year-old orphan named Ecaterina and resumed his publishing work. He translated and printed religious texts in eight languages, issued The Holy Gospel of Sibiu, Fables and Stories, and The Tale of Words (Povestea vorbii), one of his most famous works. He also wrote Melodic Grammar and an anthology of Popular Poems, becoming the first Romanian author to print folk songs together with their musical notation.

As a teacher at the Metropolitan Seminary and chief cantor at the Royal Church of Curtea Veche, Pann passed on his passion for music and language to new generations. His printing press became a true cultural center, where songs, religious texts, and folk literature were published for the first time in Romanian history.

The creator of the melody of “Deșteaptă-te, române!”

One of the most important moments in Anton Pann’s life occurred in 1848. During the revolutionary movement, in Râmnicu Vâlcea, the song “Deșteaptă-te, române!” (“Awaken, Romanian!”) was performed for the first time — the melody composed by Anton Pann and the lyrics written by poet Andrei Mureșanu. It is said that Pann himself conducted the choir that sang the anthem in Zăvoi Park, in the very heart of Vâlcea.

The song, filled with emotion and patriotism, quickly became a symbol of national awakening. Through it, Anton Pann secured his place in Romanian history, not only as a musician and folklorist but as a visionary spirit who turned music into a voice of unity and hope.

A guardian of Romanian folk culture

Beyond the national anthem, Anton Pann left behind an immense cultural legacy: collections of folk songs, poems, anecdotes, proverbs, and fables. He was a true collector of folklore, captivated by the vividness of spoken language and popular humor. Mihai Eminescu aptly described him as “the godson of Pepelea, as clever as a proverb,” a title that perfectly captured his wit and cultural depth.

He was the first to publish songs together with their melodies, creating a genuine anthology of 19th-century Romanian urban music. Through his works, Anton Pann managed to connect the traditions of the East and the West, harmonizing Byzantine and Balkan influences with a distinct Romanian sensibility.

The final years and enduring legacy

Anton Pann’s life ended unexpectedly on November 2, 1854. He was buried in the courtyard of Lucaci Church in Bucharest, where his grave remains a site of cultural remembrance. After his death, his printing press was moved to Râmnicu Vâlcea, continuing to operate and preserve his creative spirit.

As a tribute to his immense contribution, the people of Vâlcea transformed his former residence into the Anton Pann Memorial House, located near the spot where Romania’s national anthem was officially performed for the first time. In Bucharest, a street bears his name — a lasting reminder of a man who was more than a musician or poet: he was a bridge between generations and cultures.

Anton Pann was a multifaceted genius — a man who understood the power of education, music, and folk wisdom. He lived through wars, exile, and hardship, yet turned his experiences into an invaluable cultural treasure. Through his songs, fables, and stories, but above all through the melody of the national anthem, he remains a symbol of Romanian intelligence, humor, and spirit.

Today, his name endures not only on a street in Bucharest but in the very identity of the Romanian people — as an echo of that eternal call: “Awaken, Romanian!”

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