Born in a family of musicians in Tirgu Jiu, Martinoiu discovered his vocal gift in his high school years, when he sang with various school choirs. After high school, he became a student at the Cornetti Conservatoire in Craiova. Three years later he moved to the Music Academy in Iași, from which he graduated in 1958.[citation needed]
In 1959, Martinoiu made a successful debut at the Musical Theatre in Galați as Count di Luna in Il trovatore. The Romanian Opera in Bucharest offered him the opportunity to become a permanent soloist with their organisation.[citation needed]
He has performed in numerous engagements in Europe and overseas, singing at the New York City Opera, Philadelphia Grand Opera, Baltimore Opera, and the Kennedy Centre in Washington. He has toured in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States.[citation needed]
He has appeared in radio and TV broadcasts in Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Dresden, Goerlitz, Leipzig, Pécs, Sofia, Moscow, and Warsaw.[citation needed]
Prizes
He has participated in several international festivals of music and in 12 international canto competitions.
1965: grand prize at the Erkel Competition in Budapest, Hungary
1966: second prize at the Maria Calas Competition in Barcelona, Spain
1966: laureate title at the P.I. Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia
1966: second prize at the s’Hertogenbosch International Competition in the Netherlands
1967: first prize for Bulgarian composed lieder, and third prize for canto at the International Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria
1967: second prize at the International Canto Competition in Toulouse, France
1967: second prize at the Francesco Viñas Competition in Barcelona, Spain
1968: second prize at the Voci Verdiane Competition in Busseto, Italy
1968: third prize at the Giuseppe Verdi Competition in Parma, Italy
1968: second prize at the International Competition in Verviers, Belgium
Verdi: Aida- Amonasro; Un Ballo in maschera – Renato; Don Carlo – Rodrigo; La Forza del destino – Don Carlo, Nabucco – Nabucco; Otello – Iago; Rigoletto – Rigoletto; Stiffelio – Stankar; La traviata – Germont; Il trovatore – Conte di Luna
