Radio România Internațional

Tag: George Enescu,

  • January 21, 2025 UPDATE

    January 21, 2025 UPDATE

     

    ELECTIONS The Permanent Electoral Authority in Bucharest said political parties may begin to collect signatures for the candidates they will support in the presidential elections in May. The signatures can be collected only in physical format and a voter can support more than one candidate. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, is yet to kick-start the election period and to officially endorse the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu as their joint candidate in their respective leadership bodies. The Social Democratic leaders met on Tuesday and in principle endorsed Crin Antonescu as their presidential candidate in May, and decided to hold a party congress on 2nd February to give the final vote on his candidacy.

     

    ECONOMY Romania’s fiscal structural plan has been approved by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), along with the plans of 20 other member states, the Romanian minister of investments and European projects Marcel Boloș announced on Tuesday. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Marcel Boloș explained that for the business environment, the fiscal plan protects the flat tax rate, with the European Commission agreeing that governments should not overtax economic success. He also said that thanks to the plan, European funding is protected, because failure to comply with the fiscal treaty would have led to its suspension. On the other hand, the Romanian official also points out, this plan preserves the country’s international credibility, as non-compliance with fiscal commitments would have led to a decrease in the country’s rating, which would have made loans more expensive and more difficult to access. The plan also secures support for investments, including for SMEs in Romania through state aid schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises operating especially in the manufacturing sector, which will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth.

     

    EUFOR The Romanian defence ministry announced on Tuesday that Romania has taken over the command of the European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR). With the command of EUFOR, the largest multinational operation in the Western Balkans conducted under the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), Romania currently exercises command of 2 of the 9 military operations and missions under the flag of the European Union, to which it contributes troops and military equipment, the same source mentions. After Brigadier General Ovidiu Lungu successfully completed his term as Chief of Staff of EUFOR ALTHEA between May 2023 and May 2024, the Romanian Army increased its representation within the operation by taking over the leadership of the most important multinational force in the Western Balkans. The stability of the region is a priority for Romania, and it has strategic importance for European and Euro-Atlantic security, the defence ministry points out.

     

    CONGRATULATIONS Romania’s acting president Klaus Iohannis has congratulated the new White House leader Donald Trump on his investiture. “Romania, a close strategic partner of the US, wishes you the best of success for this important new mandate. We need a strong and vibrant transatlantic link, to the benefit of our joint EU-US security and prosperity”, president Iohannis posted on social media. The leaders of Romania’s biggest parties also congratulated Donald Trump on the inauguration of his second term in office on Monday.

     

    DONALD TRUMP A few hours after taking office, Donald Trump pulled the US out of the World Health Organisation and the Paris Agreement on climate. He also signed an executive order on an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development global tax arrangement and asked the Department of Energy to resume processing export applications for liquefied natural gas. He declared an energy emergency in the US and revoked a number of orders introduced by the Biden administration, including one on the risks of artificial intelligence. Trump also lifted the sanctions imposed by Biden on the Jewish settlers who committed violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank. He instructed the Justice Department to dismiss the cases connected to the attack on the Capitol, pardoned 1,500 of his supporters who took the building by storm in 2021, and reduced and commuted the sentences of others. Trump declared the illegal immigration on the border with Mexico as a national emergency and the drug cartels as terrorist organisations, and signed a document affecting the granting of birth-right citizenship. Donald Trump also suspended refugee programmes for 4 months, which led to the cancellation of flights to the US for over 1,600 Afghans, including relatives of US soldiers.

     

    FESTIVAL The 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival will place special emphasis on cultural events and concerts all across Romania and for all Romanians to enjoy, the festival’s artistic director, the Romanian conductor Cristian Măcelaru told a press conference on Monday in Bucharest. He said this year’s edition will see a number of special events, including the commemoration of 70 years since the death of George Enescu. The festival will take place between 24th August and 21st September and will feature 80 symphonic, chamber, choir and instrumental ensemble performances from 28 different countries.

  • Preparations for the 2025 George Enescu Festival

    Preparations for the 2025 George Enescu Festival

    The International Classical Music Festival George Enescu is this year expected to be a genuine reference point for the classical music. The 2025 edition to be held between August 24 and September 21 will be a special one as it is going to commemorate 70 years since the great composer’s passing into eternity.

    “Every edition and the creation of the festival per se has been meant to render Enescu’s work more visual and globally emphasize his music and genius and we are carrying on in this direction. We are going to have more of Enescu’s compositions this year. A series of novel things are going to be presented during the festival regarding Enescu’s compositions, of course”, conductor Cristian Macelaru, the Festival’s artistic director says.

    According to him the festival’s 17th edition focuses on cultural events and concerts, to be staged in great numbers all over the country. This edition will also focus on anniversaries and commemorations: 50 years since the death of Dmitri Shostacovich, 150 years since the birth of Maurice Ravel, 100 years since the birth of Romanian conductor Marin Constantin, founder of the Madrigal choir, 100 years of activity for the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, 45 years since the foundation of the Bremen Philharmonics and 70 years since the foundation of the Transylvania Philharmonics Orchestra in Cluj Napoca, western Romania.

    The George Enescu Festival is an international landmark in artistic excellence, says the Culture Minister Natalia Intotero. She believes the festival is much more than a mere artistic event, being also a symbol of Romanian cultural value, an opportunity of celebrating the legacy of a classical music genius.

    The Culture Minister has voiced satisfaction for the educational activities devoted to students and young artists this edition includes such as internships programmes, sessions of training and masterclass.

    The mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, says it is with great joy that Bucharest hosts the aforementioned event. “It is one of our concerns to stimulate cultural, academic, sporting events so that Bucharest may become a brand for this type of activities. Romania’s cultural landscape needs the Enescu Festival as it imposes a certain standard and makes the other cultural operators comply with this standard,” the mayor went on to say.

    The 17th edition of the Enescu festival seems to be one of the most challenging from the organizational point of view: 80 symphonic and chamber concerts, choirs, music groups, ranging from two to ten musicians from 28 countries, are going to come to Romania and to Bucharest; out of these 18 are local, 9 from Germany, 6 from various European projects, others will come from France, Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia. 50 concerts and recitals are expected to take place during the festival in Romania alone.

    (bill)

  • November 12, 2024

    November 12, 2024

    VISIT – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is paying an official visit to the UK on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he is expected to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King. According to a Government press release, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu will also attend the Romania-UK Economic Forum, and will meet with representatives of the Romanian community. “The government is interested in consolidating the Strategic Partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in all fields of bilateral interest, responding to the changing challenges and opportunities. The Romanian community in the UK is big, and fostering the rights of our compatriots is a key pillar of bilateral cooperation”, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. This is the first visit of a Romanian Prime Minister to the UK in 17 years.

     

    ELECTION – Some 200 postal votes for the parliamentary and presidential election in Romania have already arrived from Romanians living abroad and will be counted together with the other votes, the chairman of the Permanent Election Authority (AEP), Toni Greblă, has said. 6,650 citizens have demanded to vote by post and must send their options no later than two days before the start of the voting process proper. The first round of the presidential election is slated for November 24, the second round for December 8, while the parliamentary election will take place on December 1.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate climbed in October to 4.67% from 4.62% in September, the National Statistics Institute reports. Foods prices went up by 4.75%, while prices for non-food products also increased by 3.45%. Services also went up 7.66%. The National Bank of Romania has upgraded its inflation estimate for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%. The Bank expects the inflation rate to go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to a report made public by Governor Mugur Isărescu this Monday. On the other hand, Romania’s trade deficit went up 15% in the first nine months of 2024, reaching some 23.5 bln EUR, the National Statistics Institute reports. Exports have exceeded 69 bln EUR, a 1.4% drop. Imports totaled nearly 93 bln EUR, accounting for a 2.3% increase.

     

    GOTECH WORLD – Officials and representatives of the business sector are attending the opening of GoTech World 2024, an event hosted by Bucharest over November 12-13. This year’s edition of B2B Expo brings together over 120 experts from the sector and nearly 100 exhibitors. Organizers expect a turnover of some 15,000 guests. GoTech World (previously known as Internet & Mobile World) is the biggest conference and expo in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a regional hub for digital economy, providing professionals from the region with access B2B tech solutions, insight into various digital fields and networking opportunities.

     

    ENESCU – For the first time in the history of Romania, all four violins owned by composer George Enescu will be on the same stage in November 2024, as part of a national tour. The violins are currently in the collection of the “George Enescu” Museum in Bucharest and are classified as “national treasures”. The tour kicks off on November 12 at the Culture Palace in Iași (northeast).  Gabriel Croitoru will be performing on the 1731 “Cathedral” Guarnieri del Gesù violin, Simina Croitoru on the 1931 Paul Klaul violin, Paul Răducanu on the 1930 Paul Klaul and Mircea Dumitrescu on the 1835 Frères Pierre and Hippolyte Silvestre. The tour will then  travel to other cities across the country, before moving to Bologna (Italy). The four violins were donated to the Romanian state by George Enescu’s wife, Maria Cantacuzino-Enescu, upon the foundation of the Museum in 1956.

     

    HEARING – The remaining six European Commissioners, designated for the positions of European Commission executive vice-presidents, including Romania’s nomination, Roxana Mînzatu, are today taking part in hearings before the European Parliament’s special committees. Designated European Commission Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness, will appear before the Committee for Labor and Social Affairs, and before the Committee on Culture and Education. According to Agerpres, Romanian MPs from various political groups say EU Commissioners will pass today’s hearings with little effort.  (VP)

  • George Enescu and AI

    George Enescu and AI

     

    The George Enescu International Competition is under way in Bucharest, impressing the music lovers night after night with outstanding artistic moments.

    Given that any cultural event, even the well-known ones, wants to draw a wider audience, on the occasion of the 143rd anniversary of composer George Enescu’s birth, ARTEXIM, the organizer of the George Enescu International Festival and Competition, presented this year, for the first time, the immersive show “George Enescu – Poema Română: Immersive Experience”, at the Museum of Immersive New Art, which is intended to be a new series of concerts within the Enescu Festival 2025.

    Under this special project, the public is taken on an original audiovisual journey, exploring the life and work of George Enescu, through the lens of the “Romanian Poem”, Enescu’s first work, composed when its author was only 16.

    From the very beginning, a video introduces the audience to the atmosphere of a concert hall, where the orchestra starts performing the “Romanian Poem”. Against this musical background, the spectators are transported to the picturesque landscapes of Romania, the colors and textures of nature vibrating in sync with the musical notes. While Enescu’s music unfolds, the landscapes merge and transform into various significant places in the composer’s life, creating a visual biographical collage.

    Cristina Uruc, the ARTEXIM manager, talked about the collaboration with Les Ateliers Nomad, who created the virtual experience: “They are visual artists who work with the latest technologies and with artificial intelligence, who train AI and elements created by them to match Enescu’s music and generate new video images. This is exactly what this project is called, an experience, an experiment that together with those from Les Ateliers Nomad we tried to achieve. They have  amazing projects!”

    Due to state-of-the-art technologies, viewers are invited  to see, for the first time, photos of Enescu at different stages of his life and career, animated with the help of artificial intelligence. The video mixes scenes that showcase Enescu’s lasting impact on Romanian and international music, exploring his influence on future generations of musicians and composers.

    George Enescu – Romanian Poem: Immersive Experience is a new experience that combines history, music and technology to bring to life the world and work of George Enescu.

    On this occasion, a new series of concerts was announced, which will take place within the George Enescu International Festival, starting next year, in partnership with JTI – Immersive Experience.

    Gilda Lazăr, Corporate Affairs and Communications Director with JTI Romania, the main partner of the Festival, said: “We are part of this event and are reliable partners of many cultural events in Romania. Over the years we have created events and supported events, projects and cultural institutions. When this project was proposed to us, we obviously said yes. Why? Because “Poema Română”/”Romanian Poem” is Enescu’s Opus number 1, because, indeed, it was written in his youth and is addressed to an audience that did not get the chance to hear it. (…) It was not performed for 43 years and when it finally was, in 1990, it was not filmed, for some reason. Only after 10 years did we manage to reconcile with our past and have a new beginning. You know that the Romanian Poem is dedicated to Romania’s Queen Elizabeth. I imagined what it would have been like for a young man at that time, at 16, to realize that he was living in a kingdom. It was like living in a fairy tale, it was beautiful, it was normal to be excited. The presentation of the Romanian Poem for the first time, in Paris, it was a big event. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has in its archive the information sent by the Romanian ambassador to Paris, from that period.”

    We mention that a representative fragment from the Romanian Poem was used during the Iron Curtain as a signal for the Radio Free Europe broadcasts, which were addressed to Romanians under the communist regime.

    Gilda Lazăr talked about the partnership of JTI and the George Enescu Festival for almost 10 years: “Under the sign of novelty, next year, there will be four concerts, various shows, names like Gigi Căciuleanu or Ruxandra Donose, every Thursday and Friday, at MINA , during the Enescu Festival. This way we will continue a tradition started with the Brâncuşi immersive exhibition, which we also organized with the Art Productin Foundation, a few years ago.”

    The next edition of the George Enescu International Festival will take place between August 24 and September 21, 2025, under the High Patronage of the President of Romania. It is a cultural project financed by the Government of Romania through the Ministry of Culture.

  • The 2024 George Enescu International Competition

    The 2024 George Enescu International Competition

     

     

    The last day of meteorological summer brings the opening of the George Enescu International Competition, hosted by the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest.

     

    Currently in its 19th year, the event is one of the best known and most prestigious competitions in international classical music. For about a month, until September 27, some of the world’s best performers, as well as up-and-coming artists and orchestras, will come together in Bucharest.

     

    The event will comprise several competitions for emerging artists, concerts and master classes given by celebrated classical musicians. On Saturday, August 31, the first day of the event, the agenda includes the opening concert and the award gala for the composition section.

     

    As of Sunday, September 1, successive competition rounds are scheduled, with some of the most promising young music talents taking part. Three competitions are held: cello, violin and piano.

     

    The novelty of the 2024 edition are the master classes. Held between September 23 and 27, they consist in conducting, violin, piano and cello workshops, coordinated by Maestro Cristian Măcelaru. The world-acclaimed Romanian artist is, among other things, the musical director of the National Orchestra of France, and of the Cincinnati Symphonic Orchestra.

     

    The opening concert, the 3 competition finals, 5 recitals given by jury members and by winners of previous editions, as well as the closing concert, will be aired live by Radio Romania Music. The public broadcaster thus carries on a 66-year long tradition of cooperation with the George Enescu festival and competition. Moreover, the opening and closing concerts can also be heard live on Radio Romania Culture.

     

    At the suggestion of Radio Romania Music, the 2024 George Enescu International Competition’s opening concert is included in the Euroradio Summer Season, one of the most important projects of the European Broadcasting Union, which airs concerts and recitals from the most important European festivals. Also part of the EBU Summer Season is the recital given by Liviu Prunaru and Valentin Şerban on September 13 at the Romanian Athenaeum.

     

    Also, during the 2024 George Enescu International Competition Casa Radio Publishers will release an album by the violinist Valentin Şerban and the pianist Daria Tudor, as part of the “Heirs of Musical Romania” collection produced by Radio Romania Music.

     

    The George Enescu International Competition was launched in September 1958. Alternating with the George Enescu International Festival, the Competition quickly grew into one of the most valuable events of this kind in Europe, and since 2002 it has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. (AMP)