Radio România Internațional

Tag: International Festival of Radio Orchestras

  • September 28, UPDATE

    September 28, UPDATE

    DEFENCE – Romania on Wednesday officially took over, from the Monte Real Portuguese base, the first six of the twelve F-16 jets which it purchased for 628 million Euros. The fighters have been upgraded and will interact, in the same conditions, with all other multi-role fighters owned by the NATO member states. At present, Romanias airspace is defended by Mig-21 LancerR jets, made in the former USSR, and upgraded by an Israeli firm as of 1995. The Romanian Air Forces also own subsonic training jets made in Romania, as well as cargo planes made in Italy and the US. The Romanian Army is also equipped with Puma and Alouette helicopters made in Romania under French licence. The Romanian Air Forces also operate AN-30 planes, made in the former USSR, and used for capturing aerial views and mapping.



    RESIGNATION – The co-president of the National Liberal Party, the second largest party in Romanias Parliament, Vasile Blaga, on Wednesday announced he would step down from this position and would no longer coordinate the partys campaign for the parliamentary elections scheduled for December. He will not run in the party elections due in winter, either. The decision was made after the anti-corruption prosecutors announced that Vasile Blaga is subject to legal restrictions and investigated in a corruption case. The acts of corruption were reportedly carried out between 2009 and 2012, when Blaga, who was interior minister and then Senate Speaker, allegedly intervened to favour the granting of some contracts. In exchange for his peddling in influence, Blaga allegedly received commissions worth 10%, with an overall value of 700,000 Euros, from the former mayor of Piatra Neamt (in the northeast), Gheorghe Stefan, and another businessman.



    MH17 PLANE CRASH – The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday hailed the publication by an international commission of the results of an investigation meant to cast light into the circumstances in which the civil Malaysian airlines flight MH17 crashed in Ukraines eastern separatist region, in 2014. According to the results, the Malaysian plane downed in 2014, was hit by a missile launched from a conflict area controlled by pro-Russian fighters. The minutely and independently conducted investigation is meant to clarify the circumstances in which the flight MH17 crashed and to lead to conclusions so that an act of justice be done, a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry writes. It calls on all countries able to support the investigation to fully cooperate in an effort to identify, establish and bring to justice those responsible. We recall that in July 2014, Malaysia Airlines plane operating Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people onboard died in the crash.



    MOURNING – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, and the Senate Speaker, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, on Friday will attend the funeral of former Israeli PM and President, Shimon Peres, who passed away in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, at 93 years of age. In a message of condolences to his Israeli counterpart, Reuven Rivlin, President Klaus Iohannis says that Shimon Peres was a visionary leader and a relentless fighter for a sustainable solution to the Peace Process in the Middle East. The Romanian people-says president Iohannis – will always remember the real and deep friendship of Shimon Peres, the first Israeli President to visit Romania, in 2010. In turn, Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos, evoked in his message of condolences to his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, the emblematic personality of Shimon Peres, a promoter of peace, whose internationally recognised personality was also confirmed by a Nobel Peace Prize.




    FEAST OF MUSIC – The most important musical event of this autumn, the RadiRo Festival continues in Bucharest. Wednesdays program included pieces by Richard Strauss, Gershwin and Tchaikovsky, performed by the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, the oldest radio orchestra in Germany and one of the most innovative in Europe. Organised by Radio Romania, the International Festival of Radio Orchestras, RadiRo, runs until Saturday, October 1. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • Touching encore with Enescu’s music in the opening concert of RadiRo Festival!

    Touching encore with Enescu’s music in the opening concert of RadiRo Festival!

    Saturday, September 20th, at the Romanian Radio Hall, has been inaugurated the 2nd edition of the International Festival of Radio Orchestras — RadiRo, the only musical event in Europe dedicated exclusively to radio symphony ensembles, organized by Radio Romania.




    The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, who played for the first time on a Romanian stage, performed the opening concert of the Festival, together with two young musicians with an outstandingly ascending career: conductor Joshua Weilerstein and pianist Jonathan Biss.




    The sensitivity and refinement of interpretation, doubled by the remarkable diversity of programme — four composers have been played during the evening: J. Sibelius, L. van Beethoven, E. Grieg and R. Strauss –have been the clue elements to create a true “chemistry” between the orchestra and the audience. The atmosphere of the evening culminated with the thrilling surprise that the ensemble prepared to the audience, by playing Rhapsody No. 1 by George Enescu in the encore of the concert.




    “A unique event in Europe and, as far as I know, in the entire world, the International Festival of Radio Orchestras — RadiRo, organized by Radio Romania, is about to start. I would like to thank all artists who will perform on the stage of the Romanian Radio Hall, to our listeners and music lovers for the wonderful evenings ahead. I would also like to thank all media organizations, either public or private, who promote this exceptional cultural act, initiated and supported by Radio Romania! It is thanks to them, either they are the Romanian Television, cultural media, online platforms or international organizations — and here I would like to mention the EBU, the ABU or EURONEWS, that this extraordinary event reaches billions of people around the world”, stated Ovidiu Miculescu, President Director General of Radio Romania.




    The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra was established in 1927, a year after the Finnish public radio broadcaster was founded. Today, it is one of the most appreciated symphony ensembles in its country of origin, which counts more orchestras per capita than any other country in the world. There are currently 99 musicians who activate in the orchestra and they approach a wide range of programmes, from classical composers to contemporary compositions.



    Joshua Weilerstein is assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic and guest conductor of several prestigious orchestras in the US and Europe, with a special affinity for Scandinavian orchestras. He has drawn the attention of international audience when he won simultaneously the 1st Prize and the Audience Prize at the 2009 Malko Competition for Young Conductors. He is also a passionate violinist and he was the first foreign soloist to be appointed by Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra from Venezuela.



    The first RadiRo evening has brought in front of the Romanian audience pianist Jonathan Biss, who, at only 34, holds an impressive repertoire and record. He has worked with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Lorin Maazel and Antonio Pappano, he is invited to perform regularly at Carnegie Hall and gives recitals with prestigious orchestras in the US and Europe. In partnership with Coursera, the well known producer of online courses, he was the first pianist to provide an online teaching course on Beethovens Sonatas. The project enjoyed a huge success and attracted more than 30,000 people between September — October 2013.



    RadiRo Festival, organized by Radio Romania, holds a unique profile among the similar international musical events and is mainly focused on bringing to foreground the extraordinary variety of programme and the artistic performances of European radio symphony ensembles.


    The 2nd edition of RadiRo takes place from September 20th – 27th 2014 at the Romanian Radio Hall and hosts 5 renowned European orchestras, from Finland, Czech Republic, Germany, France and Romania. The honorary director of the Festival is the Romanian conductor Cristian Mandeal.