Mihai Trăistariu (; born on 16 December 1976 in

Piatra Neamț Piatra Neamț (; ; ) is the capital city of Neamț County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in northeastern Romania. Because of its very privileged location in the Divisions of the Carpathians, Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is con ...

, Romania), also known as simply Mihai (stylized as M I H A I or MIHAI), is a Romanian singer and songwriter. He is best known for representing

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

at the

Eurovision Song Contest 2006 The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Athens, Greece, following the country's victory at the with the song "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou. Organised by the European Broadcas ...

held in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, Greece, where he placed 4th with his song, " Tornerò". The track gained commercial success, selling over one million units worldwide and influencing the trajectory of Trăistariu's career.

Career

Trăistariu comes from an artistic family. His father, Gheorghe Trăistariu, was a well-known painter of

, while his mother, Natalia Trăistariu, studied medicine and sang in her youth. Trăistariu has three siblings: Geanina, Constantin and Vasile Trăistariu. All four play a musical instrument, with Mihai playing the piano. Trăistariu studied piano for 10 years with a private teacher and graduated from the

Alexandru Ioan Cuza University The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (; acronym: UAIC) is a public university located in , Romania. Founded by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, under whom the former was converted to a university, the University of , as it was named ...

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...

with a double major in mathematics and

informatics Informatics is the study of computational systems. According to the Association for Computing Machinery, ACM Europe Council and Informatics Europe, informatics is synonymous with computer science and computing as a profession, in which the centra ...

, as well as from the Theatre University in

Constanța Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...

and the National College Petru Rareș in Piatra Neamț, but chose to pursue a music career. When he was 16 years old, Trăistariu began to take lessons in acting and directing with Romanian actor Corneliu Dan Borcia, the manager of ''Teatrul Tineretului'', the Youth Theater in Piatra Neamț. He joined the jazz courses of the Student House in Iaşi, led by Romanian composer and teacher Romeo Cozma. In 2006, Trăistariu was chosen to represent Romania in the

with his song " Tornerò", placing fourth in the Grand Final.

''Selecția Națională'' participations

Trăistariu has competed nine times in the ''

Selecția Națională Romania has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 23 times since its debut in , and has placed in the top ten six times. Its best results were achieved with "Let Me Try" by Luminița Anghel and Sistem in , and "Playing with Fire (Paul ...

'', a pre-selection show to select Romania's entrant for the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

. He won the competition in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, while placing second in

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

and in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

with his then-band Valahia.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

References

External links

* *
Eurodance Contest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Traistariu, Mihai 1979 births Living people People from Piatra Neamț English-language singers from Romania Italian-language singers of Romania Countertenors Alexandru Ioan Cuza University alumni 21st-century Romanian male singers 21st-century Romanian singers Eurovision Song Contest entrants