Edward Maya

Internationally renowned, conservatory-trained Romanian pop stars are a rarity to say the least. But that's just what Edward Maya became when his hit "Stereo Love" began echoing around the world in 2009 -- all while he was still in said conservatory, getting a university education. But by that time, the young producer/musician/songwriter born Eduard Marian in Bucharest had already set about establishing a strong pop pedigree for himself: attending Bucharest's George Enescu Music High School, working with acclaimed Romanian producers and artists, and co-writing (at age 19) a song that went to fourth place in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. "Stereo Love" gradually gained steam through YouTube, rising to No. 16 on the U.S. charts and even higher elsewhere in the Western world. Since then, Maya has released two more singles (all with Russian-Romanian singer-producer Vika Jigulina, his collaborator on "Stereo Love") and formed his own label.