Dragan, Maria

Born in a large family. She graduated from junior high school, worked on a collective farm. Then, until 1965, she studied at the Music College. Stefan Neagy. In 1966, she won the competition for filling the vacant post of soloist of the National Philharmonic.

At the age of 19, she began her musical career, became the soloist of the Variety Ensemble of the National Philharmonic, where she worked until 1973.

Since 1974, she was the soloist of the Mugurel ensemble under the direction of Valery Negruti, her colleagues were: Anastasia Istrati, Vasile Marin, Valentina Kozhokaru , Ion Bass . The ensemble was a huge success, thanks in large part to Maria, who had an ideal stage role and a unique style. She knew over 500 songs heard in her native village, and also performed songs in French and Italian. According to experts, she was one of the best performers of folk music of the MSSR.

However, in 1975, at the request of the party authorities in Moldova, the group was disbanded due to the fact that Romanian music dominated the ensemble's repertoire. In the same year, she began to collaborate with the ensemble "Bucuria", and in 1975-1976. was a soloist in the Lautarius folk music orchestra. On this career Maria Dragan ended.

The singer returned to her native village, where she spent the last years of her life. Died at the age of 39 from tuberculosis .

• One of the streets of Chisinau named after Maria Dragan
• A festival of folk songs is held in her native village of Belauresti, dedicated to the memory of the famous Moldavian singer Maria Dragan “Vai, sărmana turturică”.
• In 2001, the Post of Moldova issued a stamp with its image.

• Moldova hosts Maria Dragan folk song festival