Eugen Doga

Doga was born on 1 March 1937 in Mocra, a village in Rîbnița district on the left bank of the Nistru. Today that area is under the control of the unrecognised authorities of Transnistria. With no previous musical training, he was admitted to the Ștefan Neaga music school in Chișinău, where he learned the cello. He then studied cello and composition at the city's conservatory.

Much of his work is film music. He wrote the scores for the films of director Emil Loteanu, including Lăutarii (1972) and Șatra (1976). The waltz from Loteanu's My Sweet and Tender Beast (1978) became known all over the world. According to the Moldovan government, his music was played at the opening ceremonies of the 1980, 2014 and 2022 Olympic Games. He also wrote the ballets Luceafărul (1983) and Venancia (1989), the opera Dialoguri de dragoste (2014), the waltz Gramofon (1992) and hundreds of songs and romances.

The link with Moldova

Doga became a People's Artist of the USSR in 1987 and received the Order of the Republic in 1997. Moldova declared 2007 and 2017 the Year of Eugen Doga, and an asteroid, 10504 Doga, bears his name.

Where you will find him

He died in Chișinău on 3 June 2025, aged 88, and was buried in the Central Cemetery; the day of his funeral was a day of national mourning. Since 2015 a pedestrian street in central Chișinău has carried his name, and in July 2025 the government decided to rename the airport Eugen Doga International Airport.