Radio România Internațional

Tag: charming flute

  • Radio Romania’s Charming Flute project travels to the United States

    Radio Romania’s Charming Flute project travels to the United States

    Radio Romania’s Charming Flute
    project featuring flautist Ion Bogdan Stefanescu and pianist Horia Mihail goes
    on a US tour, with performances in Washington, DC and New York.


    This year’s
    performance in New York marks the 25th anniversary of a partnership
    between the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Metropolitan Opera and
    follows EBU’s positive response to a collaboration project between the Romanian
    Cultural Institute in New York, Radio Romania and EBU that included a
    performance organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York jointly
    with Radio Romania as part of the MET Broadcasters’ Day in New York in 2014 and
    2015.


    The Charming Flute performances are scheduled for March 18, 6.30 pm, at the Romanian
    Embassy in Washington, DC and for March 20, 12 pm, at the Victor Borge Hall -
    Scandinavia House in New York (58 Park Ave.). The all-Romanian programme
    features works by Anton Pann, George Enescu, Tudor Ciortea, Paul Constantinescu,
    Petre Elinescu, Ciprian Porumbescu, Vasile Jianu, Ioan Dobrinescu and Tiberiu
    Brediceanu.


    Flautist Ion Bogdan Stefanescu has participated in many
    national and international festivals, including the George Enescu Festival
    (Bucharest, Romania), the National Flute Association (Kansas, USA), the
    International Flute Association (Munich, Germany) and Wien Modern (Steingreber
    Festival). He has won numerous awards, such as the First Prize in the National
    Flute Competition (1985), the George Dima Award of the Academy of Music (Cluj
    Napoca, 1987) and the Composers’ Union Award for Best Soloist (2007). In 2011,
    he was awarded by the Romanian President with the Cultural Order of Merit
    medal, the Class of Chevalier, for cultural excellence. Ion Bogdan Stefanescu
    is a member of three leading Romanian contemporary music groups, Trio Contrast,
    ProContemporania and Profil, and of the National Flute Association of America
    (NFA).


    Pianist Horia
    Mihail studied at the University of Illinois under Ian Hobson and graduated in
    1995. In 1999, he also received the Artist Diploma from the Boston University,
    where he studied under Anthony di Bonaventura. He is a concerto soloist of the
    Radio Romania Music Orchestras and Choirs and the Brasov Philharmonics. As arts
    manager of the Accendo Cultural Association, Horia Mihail has organised five
    MusicOn tours with the Romanian Piano Trio and three Stradivarius tours, as
    well as two projects in collaboration with Radio Romania: The Travelling Piano and The Duel
    in Violins: Stradivarius vs. Guarnieri    .

  • 16 March, 2016

    16 March, 2016

    Romania’s former
    sovereign King Mihai I was discharged on Tuesday from a hospital in Lausanne,
    Switzerland, where he underwent cancer surgery. According to a royal family
    release, he is now at his private residence in Switzerland, where he will
    remain under medical supervision. The release also says the King’s general
    condition is stable, but his recovery will be slow, given the gravity of his
    diagnosis. Earlier this month, the royal family announced the King would
    withdraw from public life because of health reasons, while his public duties
    were handed over to his oldest daughter, Princess Margareta.




    A smoking ban comes into effect in Romania
    on Thursday. Smoking will be prohibited in all enclosed public spaces,
    including spaces with a roof and two walls. Smoking will still be permitted in
    maximum-security prisons and in enclosed environments in the transit areas of
    international airports. Smoking is banned in workplaces and all children
    playground areas, both outdoor and indoor. Electronic cigarettes will be
    allowed, with the exception of public transport. Penalties for breaking the
    smoking ban include fines and even the closing down of the venues in question.
    Smoking is one of the most expensive habits. Last year alone, the state cashed
    in 2.7 billion euros from taxes and duties on cigarette trade.




    Romania’s top ten exporters account hold a 17% share in
    total exports, accounting for almost 10 billion euros, according to a report by
    the National Institute for Statistics commissioned by the Ziarul Financial
    newspaper. Romania’s biggest exports come from the car industry. The top 500
    exporters cover 74% of Romania’s exports, which amounted to almost 55 billion
    euros in 2015. Last year, only six out of the 500 companies retained their
    positions, while 68 companies entered the top 500.




    Razvan
    Murgeanu, a businessman and former state advisor while Traian Basescu was
    president of Romania, has been detained by anticorruption prosecutors for 24
    hours. He is suspected of influence peddling, bribe giving and incitement to
    money laundering. Two other persons have also been detained as part of the same
    case. Murgeanu also served as deputy mayor of Bucharest and a state secretary
    in the ministry for regional development and tourism.




    Police
    raids continued on Tuesday in Brussels after three Belgian and one French
    police officers were slightly wounded in an operation carried out on Monday. A
    suspect armed with a Kalashnikov was killed. Two more suspects are on the run.
    The operation was linked to last November’s terrorist attacks in Paris in which
    130 people were killed. Salah Abdeslam, the most wanted man in connection with these attacks,
    has not been located. 11 persons have so far been charged in Belgium in
    connection with November’s attacks, which are believed to have been planned and
    coordinated from Brussels.




    Republican and Democratic front-runners
    Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, respectively, have extended their leads in
    the race for presidential nomination with wins in Tuesday’s primaries. Donald
    Trump won in North Carolina, Illinois and Florida, while Hilllary Clinton won
    in four states, including the industry-rich Ohio.




    966 people were put to death in Iran in
    2015, the highest number in the last 20 years, according to a United Nations report.
    Between 2005 and 2015, Iran carried out at least 73 executions of child
    offenders, including 16 in the last two years. 160 young Iranians are currently
    awaiting execution. Also, 47 journalists and bloggers are known to be
    imprisoned in Iran.




    Romania’s number one tennis player Simona Halep has
    reached the quartefinals of the Indian Wells tournament worth 6 million dollars
    in prize money. The winner of last year’s title in Indian Wells, Halep is
    currently in the fifth place in the world rankings. In her next match, she
    faces world number one Serena Williams, who leads 6-1 in head-to-head clashes.
    Halep’s only win against Williams dates back to 2014 at the WTA Finals in
    Singapore.

    Radio Romania’s Charming Flute project featuring flautist Ion Bogdan Stefanescu and pianist Horia
    Mihail travels to the United States. The performances are scheduled for March
    18, 6.30 pm, at the Romanian Embassy in Washington, DC and for March 20, 12 pm, at
    the Victor Borge Hall – Scandinavia House in New York (58 Park Ave.). The
    all-Romanian programme includes works by Anton Pann, George Enescu, Tudor
    Ciortea, Paul Constantinescu, Petre Elinescu, Ciprian Porumbescu, Vasile Jianu,
    Ioan Dobrinescu and Tiberiu Brediceanu.

    (Translated by: C. Mateescu)