High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Tristan Tzara (French pronunciation: ; Romanian pronunciation: ; born Samuel or Samy Rosenstock, also known as S. Samyro; April 16 1896 – December 25, 1963) was a Romanian and French avant-garde poet, essayist and performance artist. Also active as a journalist, playwright, literary and art critic, composer and film director, he was known best for being one of the founders and central figures of the anti-establishment Dada movement. Under the influence of Adrian Maniu, the adolescent Tzara became interested in Symbolism and co-founded the magazine Simbolul with Ion Vinea (with whom he also wrote experimental poetry) and painter Marcel Janco. During World War I, after briefly collaborating on Vinea`s Chemarea, he joined Janco in Switzerland. There, Tzara`s shows at the Cabaret Voltaire and Zunfthaus zur Waag, as well as his poetry and art manifestos, became a main feature of early Dadaism. His work represented Dada`s nihilistic side, in contrast with the more moderate approach favored by Hugo Ball.