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. 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. His completed special studies with baritone
Carlo Tagliabue in
Milan and at the
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome between 1967–1968. 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. He has appeared in radio and TV broadcasts in Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Dresden, Goerlitz, Leipzig, Pécs, Sofia, Moscow, and Warsaw. ==Prizes==