Radio România Internațional

Category: Contest

RRI Contest – The 2017 “George Enescu” International Festival

Dear friends, RRI resumes the series of prize winning contests and invites you to take part in a new quiz, called “The 2017 George Enescu International Festival” and devoted to a first-class international music event.

Between September 2 and 24, Bucharest and 7 other Romanian cities are hosting the 23rd edition of the George Enescu International Festival, named after the greatest Romanian composer of all times. The honorary president of the Festival is the famous conductor Zubin Mehta, and the artistic director is another famed conductor, Vladimir Jurowski. The latter will also open the Festival, conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which will perform George Enescu’s opera “Oedipe.”

The 2017 George Enescu Festival brings to Romania more than 3,000 of the best Romanian and foreign artists, in nearly 125 events. The agenda includes performances by top classical music artists, some of them for the first time in Romania, 37 works by George Enescu as well as contemporary music performances.

Just like in the previous editions, the Festival presents series of concerts and events. The “Great Orchestras of the World” series features major orchestras that perform on some of the world’s greatest stages. The “Recitals and Chamber Music” series comprises the most important chamber performances in the Festival, at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. One of the best liked series in the Festival is called “By Midnight Concerts”, also hosted by the Romanian Athenaeum.

For the first time this year, music lovers will be able to enjoy the new concept underlying the “21st Century Music” series, which brings to the Radio concert hall major contemporary works in novel approaches. In the series “International Forum of Composers,” important personalities will share their professional experiences related to the contemporary music in debates, conferences and panel discussions. As in previous years, the “Festival Square” will enable music lovers to attend a diverse and free of charge music programme, presented by the Bucharest City Hall, through the Cultural Centre of the City of Bucharest, ARCUB, in the George Enescu Square. Adding to all these are concerts in other cities in the country.

We invite you to listen to our broadcasts, to visit our website rri.ro and follow our Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn profiles, and to answer a few questions in writing, and you may be a winner. The closing date is September 30, 2017, mailing date (September 30, midnight, Romanian time, for online participants).

The prizes consist in CDs with Romanian and foreign classical music, as well as other promotional items. The contest is organized jointly with the Bucharest City Hall, the Nicolae Tonitza Fine Arts High School in Bucharest and Casa Radio Publishers.

And now, here are the questions:

Which edition of the George Enescu International Festival is held in 2017? Who are the artistic director and the honorary president of the 2017 edition? How many artists are taking part in this year’s edition of the George Enescu Festival? In how many cities does the 2017 George Enescu Festival take place?

Please tell us what prompted you to participate in the contest and why you listen to RRI’s broadcasts and follow RRI’s content online. Our address is: Radio Romania International, 60-64 G-ral Berthelot Street, District 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, zip code 010165, fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, e-mail: engl@rri.ro. Please send your answers by September 30, 2017, mailing date. You can find the contest regulation on our website and on Facebook. Good luck!

1 August 2017
The winners of the RadiRo competition

This particular competition was dedicated to the third edition of the RadiRo International Festival of Radio Orchestras, a unique musical event in Europe that brought together 6 orchestras and world-class musicians and conductors at the Radio Concert Hall in Bucharest. We received 198 correct and complete answers. We would like to thank you for your interest and hope you will participate in our future competitions as well.

The winners of prizes and honourable mentions will receive CDs with Romanian and foreign classical music and fine arts works by Romanian artists, as well as a range of cultural promotion objects. The competition was organised together with the Nicolae Tonitza Fine Arts School in Bucharest, the Casa Radio Publisher and the Electrecord music label.

The participants in the competition were able to find out the correct answers to the questions from RRI’s programmes and website and its Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn pages.

Before telling you who the winners are, let’s have a look at the questions and the correct answers.

1. Name the year of the first edition of the International Radio Orchestras Festival. Correct answer: 2012.

2. Who is the honorary director of the 3rd edition of the festival? Correct answer: composer Kristjan Jarvi.

3. How many orchestras will be performing at the 2016 edition of RadiRo? Correct answers: Six.

4. Who is the organiser of the festival? Correct answers: Radio Romania.

And now, let’s find out the winners:

20 honourable mentions go to the following RRI listeners and internet users: Lidia Dobrescu, of Romania; Dejan Mijatovic, of Serbia; Fritz Andorf, of Germany; He Xige, Xue Fei and Jin Tao, all three of them from China; Egor Aushev and Alexei Ihnenko, both from Russia; Adervall Lima Gómez and Antonio Pereira dos Santos, both from Brazil; Juan Franco Crespo and Juan Antonio Morales, both from Spain; Abdulkarim Ahmed Ali, from Libya; Mitul Kansal, Mohammad Shamim and Syampada Sarkar, all of them from India; Keith Simmonds, of France, who wrote to the English section; DX.R. L. Club (Mr. Najimmudin), of India; Sola Agboola, of Nigeria; and Larry Grabow, of the US.

Here’s an excerpt from Mr. Keith Simmonds’ entry: “We have been motivated to enter this competition by the simple prospect of winning the grand prize to be able to visit Romania which we consider to be one of the most beautiful and amazing of European countries! We have heard and read so much about this amazing land and its great people that we cannot help but be fascinated by it. So, whenever you offer a contest, we are only too eager and happy to do it because we know that the research will give us new and significant knowledge and insight about the country and its people.”

10 third prizes go to the following RRI listeners and internet users: Emad Ali Abdel-Wahed, of Iraq; Jean-Michel Aubier, of France; Ji Yuan, of China; Alvydas Alijosaitis, of Lithuania; Nikolai Matveev, of Russia; Rosa Chumpitaz, Peru; José Luis Corcuera, of Spain; Henk Poortvliet, of the Netherlands; Chin Fok Min, of Malaysia; and Christer Brunstrom, of Sweden.

10 second prizes go to the following: Noureddine Ahmad Hussein, of Jordan; Daniele Giaccari, of Italy; Ihor Danilevici, of Ukraine; Ralf Urbanczyk, of Germany; Amady Faye, of Senegal; Alexandr Abramov, of Russia; Graciela Mastrogiacomo, of Argentina; Carrie Hooper, of the US; Chun-Quan Meng, of China; and Jonathan Murphy, of Ireland.

An old friend of RRI, Jonathan Murphy of Ireland explained why he chose to take part in the contest: “Here are my answers for your newest “The 3rd RadiRo International Radio Orchestras Festival” competition. Thank you for the chance to win autographed classical music CDs, a real treat for us classical music lovers! It would be amazing to listen to Gabriel Croitoru play the famous Guarneri de Gesu violin that used to belong to the great Romanian musician George Enescu. I was fortunate to visit Enescus house in Sinaia in 2014.”

10 first prizes go to the following RRI listeners and internet users: Stefano Citterio, of Italy; Vitali Efimenko, of Belarus; Marco Lehner, of Germany; Thomas Bégué, of France; Fan Hongjie, of China; Andrei Kuzmin, of Russia; Luis Gerardo Pérez Loyola, from Mexico; Hans Verner Lollike, of Denmark; Grant Skinner, of Great Britain; and John Cooper, of the US.

14 special prizes go to the following RRI listeners and internet users: our conational Alexandru Busneag, from Germany; Ivana Krickovic, of Serbia; Boumechaal Farid, of Algeria; Helmut Matt, of Germany; Christian Canoen, of France; Victor Lu and Guo Huimin, both from China; Nikolai Loghinov and Nikolai Larin, both from Russia; Justino Losada Gómez, of Spain; Sandra Graciela Espósito, of Argentina; Alastair Pamphilon, of Great Britain; Atilio Orellana Rojas, of Japan; and Najim Uddin, of India.

Alastair Pamphilon, of Great Britain, wrote us this: “What prompted me to participate in the contest is my interest in the cultural and musical aspects of Romanian culture. I enjoy listening to classical music and thought by participating would enhance my knowledge of the various musicians who are performing at the 3rd RadiRo International Radio Orchestras Festival. I would also enjoy the opportunity to possibly win a music CD signed by famous Romanian artists as that would be a great prize to cherish especially from RRI.I enjoy listening to RRI as it takes you to a different world away from the usual familiarity in daily life and it is interesting to hear the various programmes on RRI which can enrich knowledge and is good for conversation with friends and family.”

Atilio Orellana Rojas, of Japan, had this answer: “What motivated me to take part in this contest? Actually I am interested in classical music, and I find very important the role Radio Romania plays in this field. This is my way to express my gratitude to Radio Romania. I regularly listen to Radio Romania to get news from the country. Also through the RRI homepage I learn about the Romanian culture.”

In turn, Najim Uddin, of India, told us: “I follow RRI broadcasts because RRI is our third eye to see and feel Romania, Romania history, arts & cultures, people & places and travel destination. RRI is my one and only best source to gather information about Romania. (…) What motivated me in deciding to participate in this contest is quite simple, being an ardent supporter and regular listener of Radio Romania International over the last 16 years I have developed an affinity for Romania and its people which I hope will one day culminate in me personally exploring this historic & cultural land and experiencing the warm wonderful hospitality of proud Romanians.”

We would like to thank all of you who participated in this competition. Your prizes and honourable mentions will be mailed by post within the coming months. Please confirm receipt of the prizes and their content by letter or email.

3 December 2016
Winners of the competition “Holidays in Bistrita-Nasaud”

Dear friends, we received 352 correct and complete entries. The grand prize consists in an 8-day (7 nights) stay, with full boarding in Bistrita Nasaud, in the period 15th to the 30th of September 2016 for two persons. They will stay in the town of Bistrita, at Piatra Fantanele, at Hotel Castel Dracula, and in Colibita, on the banks of the Colibita artificial lake. There are also a series of other prizes and distinctions offered by the competition’s partners. As usual, the winners of the trip to Romania will have to cover the cost of travel to Romania themselves, including visas, if necessary.

The competition was sponsored by the Hotel Castel Dracula in Piatra Fantanele, Hotel Coroana de Aur in Bistrita and the Fisherman’s Resort in Colibita. We also enjoyed the support of the Bistrita Nasaud County Council, the Bistrita Town Hall, the Nasaud Orthodox Archpriestship, the Bistrita branch of the Romanian Fine Artists’ Union, the Bistrita Nasaud County Centre for Culture, the Museum of Compared Arts in Sangeorz Bai, the Societatea de Concerte Cultural Foundation in Bistrita and the Rasunetul newspaper in Bistrita.

Information about Bistrita Nasaud was available on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. As mentioned earlier, the competition came to an end on the 15th of July. Let’s now recap the questions and the correct answers:

What is the capital city of Bistrita Nasaud county? / Correct answer: Bistrita

What is the name of the storage lake on the shores of which the guesthouse that will host the winners of the contest is located? / Correct answer: Colibita Lake.

The name of whose famous novel and film character is linked to the name of Bistrita Nasaud?Correct answer: Dracula.

And now, let’s see who the winners are. Let’s start with the special distinctions awarded to listeners of the English language broadcast: Keith Simmonds, from France; Roberta Selesky, Pruit Hall and Lee Ri, from the US; Henk Poortlivet and Maria and Robert Ackx from the Netherlands; C.O. Agboola from Nigeria; Satyaki Sarkar, Mitul Kansal, Henarani Sarkar, Muhammad Najim and S.B Sharma from India; Brian Kendall and Grant Skinner, from Britain; Amir Jameel and Javed Iqbal, from Pakistan; Thein Soe from Malaysia; and Bezazel Ferhat from Algeria.

The third prize goes to our listener in Poland, Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak. T

Moving on the second prize, the winner is our listener from Estonia, Arne Timm, who wrote us this: “I had the chance to visit Romania, including the Transylvania region, in the winter 1985 and enjoyed the nature and folklore of your country. Then I bought some music records I like to listen sometimes. From Romanian Radio I like to listen first of all to music, the programmes about history, national dishes and tourist destinations. Will be great to visit your wonderful country again in summer and see what changes have taken place.”

The first prize went to our listener in Bangladesh, Palash Chowdhury. Here’s an excerpt from his competition entry: “Besides a rich history and breathtaking landscapes, the county has many other tourist attractions. It is wonderful. I would really like to come to visit the popular Bistrita-Nasaud in Romania for holidays in the future.”

We also have a special prize going to two listeners of the English Section, namely Ashik Eqbal Tokon from Bangladesh and Muralidhar M from India.

Before disclosing the name of the winner of a trip to Romania, we would like to thank everyone who took part in this competition. We were again overwhelmed by the interest you showed in finding out more about our country. And don’t forget that a new competition has already started, this time dedicated to the RadiRo International Festival of Radio Orchestras.

And now, finally, our winner: Liu Fajian, from China! A 50-year-old company manager, he won an 8-day trip to Bistrita Nasaud county, in the period 15th to 30th of September 2016. Congratulations, Mr. Fajian, we hope you’ll enjoy your time here.

All prizes and distinctions will be mailed by post in the coming months. We would like you to confirm their arrival and the content of the parcels by letter, email or fax.

28 July 2016
RadiRo Festival

Dear friends of RRI, you are once again invited to a prize winning contest: “The 3rd RadiRo International Radio Orchestras Festival. It is dedicated to a unique musical event in Europe, bringing to the Radio Concert Hall stage 6 major orchestras and world famous soloists and conductors.

Radio Romania is the organizer of the 3rd International Radio Orchestra Festival between 23 September and 1 October, the only musical event cultivating the skill and excellence of radio symphony orchestras around the world every 2 years, since 2012.

The 9-day festival will bring together on the Radio Concert Hall stage 5 famous classical music ensembles from around Europe, and, as a first for Bucharest, a Chinese ensemble, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. The latter opens the festival on September 23rd with a concert headlined by Chinese pianist Zuo Zhang and Romanian violinist Gabriel Croitoru, playing the famous Guarneri de Gesu violin that used to belong to the great Romanian musician George Enescu.

The festival features the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, which performs every year at the Nobel Peace Prize awarding ceremony. One other notable presence is the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, the oldest radio orchestra in Germany, under the baton of Kristjan Järvi, who is also the honorary director of RadiRo 2016.

The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra brings to the festival famous violinist Gidon Kremer. The BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth, will close the festival on October 1st. The Romanian National Radio Orchestra will hold two concerts at the RadiRo Festival, on September 26th and 30th, featuring conductors Cristian Macelaru and Leo Hussain, alongside violin soloist Alexandru Tomescu and cellist Razvan Suma, with the participation of the Radio Academic Choir and the Radio Childrens Choir.

You are invited to follow RRI broadcasts, our website, www.rri.ro, and our Facebook ,Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn profiles, and to answer correctly, in writing, a few questions, and you may be a winner. The closing date is October 1st, 2016 mailing date.

The prizes and honorary mentions consist of Romanian and international classical music CDs signed by famous Romanian artists, as well as various cultural items. The contest is organized jointly with the Nicolae Tonitza Fine Art High School of Bucharest, Casa Radio Publishing House, and Electrecord label.

And here are the questions:

– Name the year of the first edition of the International Radio Orchestras Festival

– Who is the honorary director of the 3rd edition of the festival?

– How many orchestras will be performing at the 2016 edition of RadiRo?

– Who is the organizer of the festival?

Please tell us what prompted you to participate in the contest and why you are listening to RRIs broadcasts and following RRIs content online. Our address is: Radio Romania International, 60-64 G-ral Berthelot Street, District 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, zip code 010165, fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, e-mail: engl@rri.ro. Please send your answers by October 1st 2016, mailing date. The winners of the Grand Prize will be announced soon after that date. Good luck!

18 July 2016
Holidays in Bistrita-Nasaud

Dear friends, we invite you to
participate in a new prize-winning contest here on RRI, entitled Holidays in
Bistrita-Nasaud. The contest is devoted to Bistrita-Nasaud county in northern
Romania, which has a rich tourist potential and boasts numerous cultural,
historical and natural points of interest.

Between 106-271 AD, most of today’s
county of Bistrita – Nasaud was part of the Roman province of Dacia. Proof of
that stand the Romanian castra in Orheiu Bistritei, Ilisua and Livezile. The
town of Bistrita, the current capital town of the county, was first documented
in 1264. In 1409, Sigismund of Luxembourg granted the locals the right to erect
defense walls around the town, and documents of 1440 speak for the first time
of a settlement called Nasaud. Besides a rich history and breathtaking
landscapes, the county has many other tourist attractions.

Among them the
Silversmith’s House and the Coopers’ Tower, both in Bistrita, the ruins of the
Rodna fortress, the ruins of the Roman Castrum Orheiu Bistritei, Bistrita
Valley and Gorges, the Arboretum in Arcalia, the Evangelical Church, the
Synagogue, the Bistrita-Nasaud County Museum, the Compared Art Museum in
Sangeorz Bai, the memorial houses of poets Andrei Muresanu and George Cosbuc
and of the prose-writer Liviu Rebreanu, the ‘Izvorul Tausoarelor’ Cave (the
deepest cave in Romania), the ‘Grota Zanelor’ Cave (Fairies’ Cave), many nature
and botanical reserves (including daffodil meadows and muddy volcanoes). Also,
we should not forget about the famous Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The bust of the
Irish writer can be seen right in front of the ‘Dracula Castle’ Hotel, in
Piatra Fantanele, Tihuta Pass, where the winners of our contest will spend two
nights.

We invite you to follow RRI’s broadcasts,
the website www.rri.ro and our Facebook,
Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn profiles and give correct answers, in writing, to
the contest questions. The contest will end on July 15th 2016,
mailing date.

Two Grand Prizes will be offered to two
RRI listeners, consisting of an 8-day (7-night) trip, full-board, between the
15th and the 30th of September, 2016, to the town of
Bistrita, to Piatra Fantanele (‘Castel Dracula’ Hotel) and Colibita, on the
shore of the artificial storage lake with the same name.

The sponsors of this contest are the
‘Castel Dracula’ Hotel in Piatra Fantanele, the ‘Coroana de Aur’ (Golden Crown)
Hotel in Bistrita and Fishermen’s Resort in Colibita. Also, the contest enjoys
the support of the Bistrita-Nasaud County Council, the Bistrita Town Hall, the
Nasaud Orthodox Archpriestship, the Bistrita branch of the Union of Fine
Artists in Romania, the Bistrita – Nasaud County Centre for Culture, the
Compared Art Museum in Sangeorz Bai and the ‘Concert Society’ Cultural
Foundation in Bistrita.

As usual, the winners will have to
provide for their own international transport to and from Romania, and get a
visa, if applicable.

And now, here are the questions:

-Which is the capital city of Bistrita
– Nasaud county?

-What is the name of the storage lake
on the shores of which the guesthouse that will host the winners of the contest
is located?

-The name of whose famous novel and
film character is linked to the name of Bistrita – Nasaud?

Please tell us what prompted you to
participate in the contest and why you are listening to RRI’s broadcasts and
following RRI’s content online.

Our address is: Radio Romania
International, 60-64 G-ral Berthelot Street, District 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111,
zip code 010165, fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, e-mail: engl@rri.ro.
Please send your answers by July 15th 2016, mailing date. The
winners of the Grand Prize will be announced soon after that date.

Good luck!

1 April 2016
Winners of the Contest “A Contemporary of Brancusi: Constantin Antonovici”

Dear friends, Radio Romania International invited you to participate, until January 15th 2016, mailing date, in a new prize-winning contest entitled “A Contemporary of Brancusi: Constantin Antonovici. The contest was devoted to the famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi and to one of his most outstanding disciples, Constantin Antonovici (1911-2002), who had a brilliant career in Europe and the US. Of all the artists who worked with Brancusi, Constantin Antonovici was the only one who had a letter of recommendation signed by the great sculptor.

Many of you participated in our contest and provided 210 correct and complete answers. Thank you for your interest and hope you will take part in RRIs future contests as well.

The Grand Prize consists in a 7-day trip, for two RRI listeners, between April 15th and 30th 2016, to Gorj County, the birthplace of Constantin Brancusi. As usual you will have to provide for your own transportation to and from Romania and to cover the cost of your visa for Romania, if necessary.

The contest was organized jointly with the “Constantin Brancusi Research, Documentation and Promotion Centre in Targu Jiu , with the support of several local partners: The Gorj County Council, the Targu Jiu Town Hall, The Gorj and Craiova branches of the Fine Artists Union, the Dolj County Council, the Craiova City Hall, the Gorj Centre for the Promotion of Traditional Culture, the “Marin Sorescu National Theatre in Craiova, the “Maria Tanase Folk Ensemble in Craiova and the Craiova Art Museum.

The correct answers to the contests questions were presented in RRIs shows and were also available on the stations website and on its Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn profiles.

The contest ended on January 15th, 2016, mailing date. But before we announce the winners, lets go over the questions and answers once again:

Question: Which is the central motif of Constantin Antonovicis work?

Answer: The owl.

Question: Of all the artists who worked with Brancusi, what makes Constantin Antonovici unique?

Answer: Constantin Antonovici was the only one who had a letter of recommendation signed by the great sculptor.

Question: For how long and where did sculptor Constantin Antonovici work his with maestro?

Answer : For 4 years, in Paris.

Question: What famous works by Brancusi can one find in the monumental ensemble “The Avenue of Heroes in Targu Jiu?

Answer : “The Avenue of Heroes ensemble in Targu Jiu is made up of 4 sculptures: the Table of Silence, the Chairs Alley, the Gate of the Kiss and the Endless Column. The Saint Apostles Peter and Paul Church is also part of the ensemble.

The winners are:

Fifteen honourable mentions went to: Hamzaoui Mahmoud Hamzaoui of Egypt, Rachid Dahmaniof of Algeria, Guo Yanxin and Zhou Fei, both from China, Valeri Luhovski of Belarus, who wrote to the Ukrainian Service, Klaus Karusseit of Sweden, who wrote to the German Service, Vladimir Stadik and Aleksandr Abramov, both from Russia, José Luis Corcuera and Miguel Ramón Bauset, both from Spain, Henk Poortvliet of the Netherlands, Michael Whing from the UK, John Rutlege from the USA, Abdulkarim Ahmed Ali of Lybia, who wrote to the English Service, and Anthony Teyssieux of France.

Ten third prizes went to: Salim Sabah Saray of Iraq, Jonathan of China, Olexandr Kozlenko of Ukraine, Werner Hoffmann from Germany, Nikolai Larin of Russia, Juan Franco Crespo of Spain, Nouari Naghmouchi of Algeria, who wrote to the English Service, Jonathan Murphy of Ireland, Bibi Z. Shah from Pakistan and Indias Deepita Chakrabarty, who also wrote to the English Service.

The winners of the eight second prizes are: Italys Stefano Citterio, Abdel-Kader Hasan of Egypt, Wu Xuan of China, Russias Aleksei Veselkov, Henrique José Dantas Felinto of Brazil, who wrote to the Spanish Service, Paul Jamet of France, Bezazel Ferhat from Algeria, who wrote to the English Service, and Binarani Mondal of India.

The fifteen first prizes will go to: Boudoukha Mohamed from Algeria, Shan Jinhai of China, Volodymyr Gudzenko of Russia, Friedrich Frede of Austria, Valeri Rubin of Canada,who wrote to the Russian Section, José Balbino Cruz Menjivar from Costa Rica, Amady Faye from Senegal, who wrote to the French Service, Mofizur Rahman of Bangladesh, Jayanta Chakrabarty, Mitul Kansal and Chaitali Sarkar, all three from India, Amir Jameel and Asghar Shah from Pakistan, Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak of Poland and Martin Rogan from the UK.

Jayanta Chakrabarty of India, a listener to RRIs English Service and one of the 1st prize winners of this contest has written: “Romania happens to be one of the few countries in Europe where there is an abundance of creative minds. It is a unique country that has given birth to literary giants, great musicians and outstanding artists. So I was not surprised when RRI’s latest contest featured the world-renowned sculptor Constantin Brancusi and his most devoted and favoured disciple, Constantin Antonovici. The excitement and the beautiful experience to delve into the works of these outstanding Romanian souls prompted me to participate in the competition. I have been a listener to RRIs broadcasts since the early 1970s when it was popularly known as Radio Bucharest. In fact, I have grown alongside RRI from childhood to adulthood. I am grateful to RRI for helping me improve my English. (…) At the start of the 2016 I have high hopes that RRI will continue to update us on the various facets of Romanian life and its vibrant culture.

Mitul Kansal of India, another listener to the RRI English, and equally a first prize winner has motivated his decision to take part in the contest by saying: “I am a great lover of the modern art created by Constantin Antonovici, who moved to the US in 1953. He possessed an artistic lucidity that allowed him to stylise and simplify in order to find essential forms, just as Brancusi did. (…) Antonovici exhibited in France, Italy, Romania and the US and many private collectors acquired his works. So the reason why am I participating in this contest is very simple: I am a regular listener to RRI and I am very much interested in Romanias culture, history, art, customs, traditions and way of life. I fully believe that RRI is bringing Romania closer to us through its programs, website and various contests.

A faithful listener to RRIs English broadcast, Martin Rogan from the UK, has written: “I often take part in RRIs contests because I always learn something new by doing so, and the possibility of winning a prize, big or small, is always an attraction. I must say, as a confirmed technophobe, that I only consult websites when there is absolutely no alternative, so I would be lying if I were to say that I followed RRIs online content, or anyone elses for that matter. Much prefer the immediacy of short wave broadcasts especially when the content is interesting and reception is good. With RRI, both of these things apply and my interest in Romania is of long standing anyway. People often study French, Spanish or Italian in this country but fewer study Portuguese and ignorance of the Romanian language in the UK is truly shocking. RRI is a major means of addressing this problem and I hope it continues to do so for many years to come.

Ten special prizes went to the following listeners: Ben Chohra Ali of Algeria, Lin Shan of China, Ihor Karivets of Ukraine, Ralf Urbanczyk of Germany, Vasili Guliaev of Russia, Enric Ballester Burcet of Spain, Gilles Gautier of France, Mohammad Shamim of India, Ashik Eqbal Tokon of Bangladesh and Hans Verner Lollike of Denmark.

Another faithful listener to RRIs English programmes, Hans Verner Lollike of Denmark has written: “Until mid 1970s Romania was just a spot on the Map of Europe and some extraordinary athletes competing in the Olympic Games. Later, as a board member of the Danish National Youth Council, I got the chance to participate in the NGO- parallel conference to UN Population Conference in Bucharest. I have a whole collection of memories of that time. (…) Thanks to a friend of mine, Radio Romania International, I was introduced to one of the most outstanding sculptors of modern time, Constantin Brancusi. I have been looking for his works all over. Sadly, in Denmark he is not present enough! But 10 years ago, when I had a day on my own in New York, and the Guggenheim Museum was closed, I had luck at the Metropolitan to see two of his works, and a couple of years later, in Paris, I saw his workshop. What is it by Brancusi, always fascinates. (…) A visit to his sculptural ensemble in Targu Jiu would be a lifetime experience.

We thank all those who took part in the contest and motivated their participation. Its now time to announce the winners of a 7-day trip (a 6 night stay, full broad) to the Gorj County, between April 15th and 30th 2016.

The Grand Prize winners are: Khalil Abdel-Kader and Goumidi Mohamed, both from Algeria!

Congratulations to you all!!! All prizes and honourable mentions will be sent to you by post in the following months and you are kindly requested to confirm, by post, e-mail or fax, the receipt of the prize.

Thank you again for taking part in RRIs contest on Constantin Brancusi and his disciple, Constantin Antonovici!

18 February 2016
A contemporary of Brancusi: Constantin Antonovici

We invite you to participate in a new prize-winning contest here on RRI, entitled “A contemporary of Brancusi: Constantin Antonovici. This contest is devoted to the famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi and to one of his most outstanding disciples, Constantin Antonovici (1911-2002), who had a brilliant career in Europe and the US.

Of all the artists who worked with Brancusi, Constantin Antonovici was the only one who had a letter of recommendation signed by the great sculptor. Antonovici graduated from the Fine Arts Institute in Iasi (1939) then studied for 3 years at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, to further his studies for another 2 years in Tyrol. He went to Paris in 1947 where he met Brancusi together with whom he worked for 4 years.

In 1953 he started working in a studio located at the ground floor of the New York-based cathedral St. John the Divine. Constantin Antonovici participated in numerous exhibitions and won sculpture competitions in Canada, Austria, France, Italy, Romania and the US. Some of his most notable public works include the marble cover on the crypt of bishop William T. Manning, a 2-meter stone cross on the western façade of St. John the Divine Cathedral and the bust of the former president Dwight Eisenhower at the White House. The central motif of Constantin Antonovici‘s work was the owl, which he represented in various ways.

We invite you to follow RRIs broadcasts, our site www.rri.ro and our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn profiles and give correct answers, in writing, to the contest questions. The contest will end on January 15th 2016, posting date.

The Grand Prize will be a 7-day full board trip, between April 15th and 30th 2016, for 2 RRI listeners, to Gorj County, the birthplace of Constantin Brancusi.The winners will visit the home where the artist was born and several other attractions in the area, starting with the “Avenue of Heroes monumental ensemble in Targu Jiu, which pays tribute to the heroes of WWI and was designed and built by Constantin Brancusi. The four sculptures, the Table of Silence, the Chairs Alley, the Gate of the Kiss and the Endless Column are all located on the same axis oriented from west to east, measuring 1,275 meters. Other sites included in the trip are the Saints Peter and Paul Church that was inaugurated on November 7, 1937 on the same date with the Gate of the Kiss.

The contest is organized jointly with the Constantin Brancusi Research, Documentation and Promotion Centre in Targu Jiu and other local partners.As usual you will have to provide for your own transportation to and from Romania and your visa for Romania, if necessary. For the other listeners we also have prizes and honorable mentions consisting in various objects offered by the Constantin Brancusi Centre.

And now the questions:

– Which is the central motif of Constantin Antonovicis work?

– Of all the artists who worked with Brancusi, what makes Constantin Antonovici unique?

– For how long and where did sculptor Constantin Antonovici work his with maestro?

– What famous works by Brancusi can one find in the monumental ensemble “The Avenue of Heroes in Targu Jiu?

Please tell us what prompted you to participate in the contest and why you are listening to RRIs broadcasts and following RRIs content online.

Our address is: Radio Romania International, 60-64 G-ral Berthelot street, sector 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, zip code 010165, fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, e-mail: engl@rri.ro. Please send your answers by January 15th 2016, posting date. The winner of the Grand Prize will be announced soon after that date. Good luck!

15 October 2015
Mother Ruta’s Spindle

Dear friends, you are invited once again to an RRI contest. This time, the contest is organized alongside our colleagues from Radio Romania Village Antenna, the public station aimed at Romanian villages. This may explain the unusual title of our contest, ‘Home with Mother Ruta’s Spindle’. It was inspired by the popular movie ‘Amelie’, which made famous the garden gnome, which traveled the world over, sending home selfies taken in exotic places around the globe.

A similar project, simple and ingenious, originated in Fagaras Country, in central Romania, in a village called Mandra, ‘Mother Ruta’s Spindle’. A genuine household tool, a spindle, used by a local woman, Mother Ruta, when she was alive, started traveling all around the world a few years ago, passed from person to person, from regular people to celebrities, who take pictures with the spindle wherever they may travel. Mother Ruta was a simple soul, who wanted her trusted spindle, which she’d used her entire life, to ‘see’ the world. We thought we would invite you to a contest that would bring you to the place where the spindle started its journey, the village of Mandra in the Fagaras region, continuing to another wonderful area in the vicinity, Marginimea Sibiului.

10 years ago, an old woman in the village of Mandra, in Brasov County, passed away after a lifetime spent spinning at her loom. Besides the beautiful fabrics she made for her children to pass down, she left them her spindle. This had a very particular meaning: the old woman could never afford to see the world outside Fagaras Country, and passed down to her children her unfulfilled wish to travel, in the form of her spindle.

Her granddaughter, actress Alina Zara, took it upon herself to fulfill her wish, and to have the spindle get passed from person to person, people of every age and calling, wherever they may go around the world. So far, the spindle has traveled one million kilometers. It has visited former Soviet gulags, it went to Australia, to Mount Athos, to Alba Iulia (the site where the union of Romanians was proclaimed in 1918); it even traveled in the case of the Stradivarius violin played by the famous Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu when he went to Beijing, it has even been to the poles of the Earth and at the Equator. It took with it everywhere a message of peace and solidarity around the most precious human values.

One condition for those who take it traveling is for them to make presentations about Romania and its village life, held at embassies or major cultural events. As a symbol of ancestral crafts and traditions, Mother Ruta’s spindle is a storyteller, more persuasive than any speech on the beauty of Romania.

You are invited to follow our broadcasts on RRI, the www.rri.ro website and our profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn, provide the correct answer for a few questions, and you can be a winner. The contest’s closing date is 15 July, mailing date.

The Grand Prizes will be two trips for two, 8 days and 7 nights with double room accommodation, full board, between 1-8 September, in the Fagaras (Sambata de Sus) area, Brasov County, and Marginimea Sibiului, in Sibiu County. One trip for two, double room, will be for RRI’s listeners, the second for the Village Antenna’s listeners. As usual, the winners provide their own transportation to and from Romania, and their own visas, if applicable.

The contest is sponsored by SC SCORILO TURISM SRL, and is organized in collaboration with local partners in Brasov and Sibiu counties.

Here are the questions:

1. Where did Mother Ruta’s spindle start its journey around the world?

2. How many kilometers has the spindle traveled?

3. What are the areas that will be visited by the winners of the Grand Prizes?

4. Name five places visited by the Romanian spindle?

For information you can use the project’s blog http://suveicachicd10.blogspot.ro/, and the project’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suveica-Mamei-Ru%C5%A3a-%C3%AEn-jurul-lumii/360304274111765 even if it is only in Romanian.

Please let us know what made you take part in the contest and why you follow RRI broadcasts on shortwave or on-line.

Our address is: Radio Romania International, Str. General Berthelot nr. 60-64, sector 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, cod 010165, fax 0040.21.319.05.62, e-mail engl@rri.ro. Your answers are expected by 15 July, mailing date. The winners of the Grand Prizes will be announced right after the contest closes, allowing them time to prepare for their trip to Romania. Good luck!

1 May 2015
Holiday on the Black Sea

Radio Romania International has launched a new prize-winning competition entitled “Holiday on the Black Sea”. Focusing on the southern part of the Romanian Black Sea coast, the competition will introduce you to some of Romania’s most attractive destinations for foreign visitors, with emphasis on the town of Mangalia, the ancient Callatis, and the resorts of Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Neptun, Olimp and Cap Aurora.

Tune in to Radio Romania International’s broadcasts, go to our website at www.rri.ro, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn and send in correct answers in writing to a few questions and you may be the lucky winner. Just remember to post your letters and send your emails and messages by 30th of April.

There will be two Grand Prizes consisting of two trips, each for two persons, including double-room accommodation for 7 nights and full boarding, between 12th and 19th June and again between 6th and 13th September 2015, at the Delta Hotel in the resort of Jupiter, Constanta county. As usual, the winners will have to provide for their own international transport to and from Romania, and cover possible expenses related to obtaining a visa for Romania.

The competition is sponsored by the Delta Hotel (SC Delta Aurora SA) and benefits from the support of the Mangalia Town Hall, the Callatis Archaeology Museum in Mangalia and other local partners.

The site of today’s Mangalia is mentioned in Genovese historical records from the 13th century. The name itself was first used in 1593 and its similarity with Tartar names in the region and the presence of a significant Tartar community in the town point to the Tartar origin of this name. Before the 13th century, the place was known by its ancient name of Callatis, a Greek colony founded by the city of Heraclea Pontica (today Eregli in Turkey) in the 6th century BC. The port and half of the ancient settlement are now covered by waters. Despite wars and different rules, the town flourished for 1,200 years, sometimes on its own, at other times during successive Persian, Macedonian, Dacian and Roman rule, and event had its own coinage. The citadel was destroyed during the raids of the migrating populations in the 8th and 9th centuries before being partly rebuilt in the 11th century when Dobrudja came under Byzantine rule. In 1225, however, it was burnt down by the Tartars.

Mangalia is today a modern port, the second largest in Romania after Constanta. In 1938, it had 3,000 permanent residents and more than 10,000 during summer. The town developed at a fast pace because of its beach stretching on several kilometres. After WWII, Mangalia became a border military area and tourism stagnates. Restrictions were lifted in 1954 and in 1962 it starts to flourish as a important tourist centre.

6 resorts were built in the Cmorova forests, along the coast: Olimp, Neptun, Jupiter, Cap Aurora, Venus and Saturn.

Mangalia’s most important tourist attractions include the Esmahal SultanMosque, the Callatis Archaeology Museum (where Romania’s only papyrus manuscript can be found), the Heroes Monument, the Navy Museum, the Mangalia Horse Tracks, the Hagieni Nature Reserve, the tourist port, the Movile Cave (a scientific wonder because of its ecosystem, which is completely isolated from the exterior environment; not open to visitors), the Comorova Forest, the Documaci Hillock, the Byzantine building, Mangalia Lake, the Callatis citadel and the Limanu Cave.

And now, here are the questions you need to answer to win the big prizes:

What is the ancient name of Mangalia? What is the name of the unique cave located close to Mangalia? What are the names of the resorts in the southern part of the Romanian Black Sea coast? Name five tourist attractions in Mangalia and the surrounding area.

Along with the answers to these questions, please tell us what motivated you to enter this competition and why you follow RRI’s broadcasts on air and online.

As usual, we are Radio Romania International, 60-64 General Berthelot Street, sector 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, code 010165, fax 0040.21.319.05.62, e-mail engl@rri.ro. Please send in your answers by 30th April, mailing date. The winners of the Grand Prize will be announced soon after that date, allowing them to prepare for their trip to Romania. Good luck!

1 March 2015
Govora Spa, a healing oasis

Dear friends, we invite you to participate in a new prize-winning contest here on RRI entitled “Govora Spa, a healing oasis” which is devoted to one of the most famous spas of Valcea county, in the southern half of Romania. The spa, located 22 kms away from Ramnicu Valcea, the county seat of Valcea county, is well known for its salt waters rich in iodine and its sapropelic mud, recommended for treating various ailments. The Govora Spa is located in the sub-Carpathian area, being a hot spot with tourists both for its natural healing environment (the air and water) which are excellent cures for respiratory, rheumatic and digestive problems and for its numerous tourist attractions (nature, architecture, monasteries, pottery centers, etc.)

The exploitation of mineral water springs with therapeutic properties started in 1879, people being treated in wooden bathtubs, located within the precincts of the neighboring Govora Monastery. The first spa treatment building was erected in 1887, boasting almost 30 booths for warm baths. The spa was officially inaugurated with the opening to the public of the Hotel “Palace”, which was built in such a way that each of its rooms could get at least one hour of direct sun light. At the same time a treatment facility equipped with bathtubs made of cast iron was inaugurated. In time, with the development of the spa, other hotels and guesthouses emerged, and the spa became a township after 1950.

To find out the answers to all the contest questions, you are invited to follow RRI’s broadcasts, the website www.rri.ro, and our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ profiles. Provide in writing the correct answers to just a few questions and you can be a winner. The closing date is April 30 mailing date.

The Grand Prize is an 8-day, 7 night stay with full accommodation in a double room, with six days of spa treatment available. This includes two daily sessions between June 15 and 30, 2015 at Hotel “Palace”, housed in a historic building erected between 1911 and 1914 in Govora Spa, Valcea County. As usual, the winners will have to provide for their own international transport to and from Romania, and cover possible expenses related to obtaining a visa for Romania.

The contest is sponsored by Hotel “Palace” — SC Baile Govora SA, and is organized by Valcea County Council, Baile Govora-Govora Spa Town Hall, the Ramnic Archbishopric and the Valcea branch of the Union of Fine Artists.

Now the questions:

When was Hotel “Palace” built in Govora Spa? What is the Govora Spa resort best known for? What is the name of the city acting as seat for the county where the Govora Spa is located in? Name five tourist attractions in Valcea County.

Please add to your answers the reasons for which you compete, and why you follow RRI programs on air or online.

As usual, we are Radio Romania International, 60-64 G-ral Berthelot Street, sector 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, code 010165, fax 0040.21.319.05.62, e-mail engl@rri.ro. Please provide your answers by 30 April, mailing date. The winners of the Grand Prize will be announced soon after that date, allowing them to prepare for their trip to Romania. Good luck!

5 January 2015
Govora Spa, a healing oasis

Dear friends, we invite you to participate in a new prize-winning contest here on RRI entitled “Govora Spa, a healing oasis” which is devoted to one of the most famous spas of Valcea county, in the southern half of Romania. The spa, located 22 kms away from Ramnicu Valcea, the county seat of Valcea county, is well known for its salt waters rich in iodine and its sapropelic mud, recommended for treating various ailments. The Govora Spa is located in the sub-Carpathian area, being a hot spot with tourists both for its natural healing environment (the air and water) which are excellent cures for respiratory, rheumatic and digestive problems and for its numerous tourist attractions (nature, architecture, monasteries, pottery centers, etc.)

The exploitation of mineral water springs with therapeutic properties started in 1879, people being treated in wooden bathtubs, located within the precincts of the neighboring Govora Monastery. The first spa treatment building was erected in 1887, boasting almost 30 booths for warm baths. The spa was officially inaugurated with the opening to the public of the Hotel “Palace”, which was built in such a way that each of its rooms could get at least one hour of direct sun light. At the same time a treatment facility equipped with bathtubs made of cast iron was inaugurated. In time, with the development of the spa, other hotels and guesthouses emerged, and the spa became a township after 1950.

To find out the answers to all the contest questions, you are invited to follow RRI’s broadcasts, the website www.rri.ro, and our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ profiles. Provide in writing the correct answers to just a few questions and you can be a winner. The closing date is April 30 mailing date.

The Grand Prize is an 8-day, 7 night stay with full accommodation in a double room, with six days of spa treatment available. This includes two daily sessions between June 15 and 30, 2015 at Hotel “Palace”, housed in a historic building erected between 1911 and 1914 in Govora Spa, Valcea County. As usual, the winners will have to provide for their own international transport to and from Romania, and cover possible expenses related to obtaining a visa for Romania.

The contest is sponsored by Hotel “Palace” — SC Baile Govora SA, and is organized by Valcea County Council, Baile Govora-Govora Spa Town Hall, the Ramnic Archbishopric and the Valcea branch of the Union of Fine Artists.

Now the questions:

When was Hotel “Palace” built in Govora Spa? What is the Govora Spa resort best known for? What is the name of the city acting as seat for the county where the Govora Spa is located in? Name five tourist attractions in Valcea County.

Please add to your answers the reasons for which you compete, and why you follow RRI programs on air or online.

As usual, we are Radio Romania International, 60-64 G-ral Berthelot Street, sector 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, code 010165, fax 0040.21.319.05.62, e-mail engl@rri.ro. Please provide your answers by 30 April, mailing date. The winners of the Grand Prize will be announced soon after that date, allowing them to prepare for their trip to Romania. Good luck!

5 January 2015
Winners of the RRI contest “The International Radio Orchestras Festival – 2nd edition”

20 honourable mentions went to the following listeners or Internet users: Valeri Rubin of Russia, Christian Ghibaudo from Franţa, Kamal Bouamama from Algeria, Massimiliano Scordamaglia and Giovanni Alotto, both from Italy, Ji Kuang and Fan Hongjie, both from China, Adriel Amaya Armas from Cuba, Robinson Mosquera García of Columbia, Miguel Ramón Bauset from Spain, Jaroslaw Jedrejczak from Poland, Shahanaj Parvin and Mohammad Akksan, both from Bangladesh, Fadi Shaaban of Lebanon, Seppo Lustig of Finland, Beandry Joseph of Canada, Abdulkarim Ahmed Ali Almabrouk of Libia, Hans Verner Lollike of Danemarca, Mr. Srikanth of India and Obaid Alam of Pakistan.

RRI offered 20 3rd prizes, as follows Valeri Lugovski from Belarus, Jean-Michel Aubier from France, Werner Hoffmann from Germany, Mouad Belgrid from Marocco, Stefano Citterio from Italy, Ji Yuan and Zhi Yanjiao, both from China, Graciela Mastrogiacomo from Argentina, Odilón Ramos Boza from Peru, Syed Ali Akbar, Muhammad Punhal Khoso and Lukyari, all three from Pakistan and Jinnah DX Club, also from Pakistan, S. B. Sharma, Sagrika, Zenon Teles and Eyamin Hossain, all four from India, MD. Sajjaid Hossain from Bangladesh, S. J. Agboola from Nigeria and Aderval Lima Gomes, from Brazil.

The 20 2nd prizes went to the following: Iuri Mandrîga from Ukraine, Gloria Romana Suciu from Romania, Nina Sevciuk of Belarus, Jean-Marie Lambret of Franţa, Georg Pleschberger from Austria, Ferhat Bezazel from Algeria, Daniele Giaccari from Italy, He Xige and Long Dingzhong, both from China, Claudio Gerlach from Brazil, Javier Gonzalez Balón from Ecuador, Martín Estévez Pastor from Spain, Sourodeed Sarkar, Surendra Kumar, Dr. Siddharta Sarkar and Chinmoy Mahato, all four from India, Brian Kendall and Martin Rogan, both from the UK, Mustapha Hassan from Nigeria, and Asghar Shah from Pakistan.

The 10 winners of the 1st prizes offered by RRI are: Amela Omerspahic from Bosnia and Herţegovina, Nikolai Matveev from Rusia, Raïf Chaaban from Lebanon, Abdelilah Boubchir from Algeria, Antonella Monti from Italy, Wang Shufengfrom China, Jorge Alfredo Castelli from Argentina, Gita Chakrabarty from India, Christopher Lewis and Alan Holder, both from the UK.

RRI also offered 10 special prizes, to the following listeners and internet users: Nikolai Prigodici from Belarus, André Biot from Belgium, Fritz Andorf form Germany, Hamzaoui Mahmoud Hamzaoui from Egypt, Edoardo Pesce from Italy, Zhang Shifeng from China, José Miguel Domínguez Jurado from Spain, Sanusi Isah Dankaba from Nigeria, Mogire Machuki from Kenya and Mitul Kansal from India.

The prizes and honourable mentions of the contest will be CDs with Romanian and foreign symphony music as well as other promotional material.

28 October 2014
The Winners of RRI’s Contest “A Contemporary of Brancusi: Milita Petrascu”

15 honourable mentions went to the following listeners or internet users: Abdelilah Izou, from Morocco, Abdelilah Boubchir, from Algeria, Zhi Yanjiao and Wang Li from China, Javier Hipólito Costa, Argentina, Christian Canoen, from France, Ramsurn Lohmus from Mauritius, a listener of the French Service, and the following listeners of the English Service: Debaki Biswas, S. B. Sharma and Deepa Chakrabarty from India, Brian Beker, from the USA, Jahangir Alam Manto from Bangladesh, Asghar Shah from Pakistan, Stephen Wara from Cameroon, and Jaroslaw Jedrzeczak from Poland.

RRI offered 15 3rd prizes, as follows: Michael Lindner from Germania, Romanian-born Vasile Constantinescu from Canada, Alexandr Abramov from Russia, Olexandr Kozlenko from Ukraine, Abdelkarim Ahmad Ali Al-Mabrouk from Libya, Sami Ahmad Mosad from Egypt, Shan Jinhai and Yu Hongyan from China, Adrevall Lima Gomez from Brazil, Gilles Gautier from France, Sanusi Isah Dankaba and Ayeni Jeremiah Adedayo from Nigeria, who wrote to the English Service, Radhakrishna Pillai, India, Ferhat Bezazel from Algeria and Eddy Vansteelant from Belgium, who also listened to the English Service of RRI.

The 10 2nd prizes went to the following: Volker Willschrey from Germany, Marco Di Leo from Italy, Alexandru Petrescu from Spain, Nikolai Matveev from Russia, Natalia Zabolotna from Ukraine, Boudoukha Mohamed, Algeria, Xue Fei from China, Enric Ballester Burcet, from Spain, Jacques Giraud from France, and Henk Poortvliet from the Netherlands.

The 7 winners of the 1st prizes offered by RRI are: Ralf Urbanczyk from Germany, Miguel Ángel Calderón from Argentina, Mohamed El-Sayed Abdel-Rahim from Egypt, Chu Changrong from China, Jean-Michel Aubier from France, Adrian Micaleff from Malta, who wrote in to the English Service, and Matthew Loughlin from the UK.

RRI also offered 5 special prizes, to the following listeners and internet users: Amady Faye from Senegal, Li Chunguo from China, Miguel Ramón Bauset from Spain, Adita Prithika from India, and Karel Koláček from the Czech Republic, who listened to RRI’s German Service.

The Grand Prize will be a 7-day (6-night) full-board stay for one RRI listener, in the last half of this August 2014, in Gorj County, the home place of sculpture giant Brancusi. The winner is … Mr Jean-Marc Olry of France! He will have a chance to see Brancusi’s works in Targu Jiu, the artist’s home, as well as a variety of other cultural, tourist and historical attractions in the area.

1 August 2014
The International Radio Orchestras Festival – 2nd edition

Dear friends, RRI invites you to participate in a new prize-winning contest called “The International Radio Orchestras Festival, RadiRo, at its 2nd edition”. The contest is devoted to a unique musical event in Europe, which brings on the stage of the Radio Hall in Bucharest and live on public radio stations 5 famous orchestras and world-class conductors.

Between September 20th and 27th Bucharest will be hosting the 2nd edition of “The International Radio Orchestras Festival, RadiRo”, organized by Radio Romania, a friend and supporter of classical music ever since 1928, when it aired its first broadcast!

In 2012, the first edition of “RadiRo” brought to Romania prestigious radio symphony orchestras: the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, and L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

In 2014 the 2nd edition of RadiRo will bring to Bucharest the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Finland, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Prague, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart, L’Orchestre National de France and the National Radio Orchestra, under the baton of renowned conductors such as Joshua Weilerstein, Ondrej Lenárd, Stéphane Denève, Case Scaglione, Vassily Sinaisky, Tiberiu Soare and Cristian Mandeal.

The protagonists of the “RadiRo” evenings will be great soloists such as: pianist Jonathan Biss, soprano Katarina Jovanovic, pianist Jan Simon, violinists Nikolaj Znaider and Vadim Gluzman, alongside great Romanian artists: mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose, pianist Horia Mihail and violinist Alexandru Tomescu. The honorary director of this edition, the Romanian conductor Cristian Mandeal, will add prestige and European value to the “RadiRo” Festival.

We invite you to listen to RRI’s broadcasts, follow RRI’s website and Facebook, Twitter and Google+ profiles and give correct answers, in writing, to several questions until September 26th 2014, the post date, when the contest comes to an end.

The prizes and honorable mentions of the contest will be CDs with Romanian and foreign symphony music as well as other promotional material. The contest is organized together with the “Casa Radio” Publishers and the Bucharest City Hall.

And now here are the questions:

– What was the year when the 1st edition of RadiRo was held?

– Who is the honorary director of the 2nd edition of this festival?

– How many radio orchestras will be participating in the 2014 edition of RadiRo?

– Name 3 Romanian artists (soloists or conductors) who will participate in the 2014 edition of RadiRo.

Please also tell us what made you participate in the contest and especially why you listen to RRI’s broadcasts and follow us online. Our address is: Radio Romania International, 60-64, G-ral Berthelot Street, sector 1, Bucharest, PO BOX 111, postal code 010165, fax 00 40 21 319 05 62, e-mail: engl@rri.ro.

We are waiting for your answers until September 26th, the post date. The winners will be announced after the end of the contest. Good luck!

1 August 2014
A Contemporary of Brancusi: Milita Petrascu

You have learned a lot about Constantin Brancusi, over the years, from our shows as well as from our web site and social media profiles. Milita Petrascu, a fine artist, sculptor and painter, and a member of the Romanian avant-garde movement of the interwar years (represented by groups like “Contimporanul,” “Grupul Nostru,” “Criterion”) was born in late 1892 in Chisinau, currently the capital of the Republic of Moldova. She worked in Munich under the guidance of avant-garde maestros Kandinsky and von Jawlensky, and then in Paris, with famous artists like Matisse and Bourdelle. There she met Constantin Brancusi, in whose Parisian workshop she worked starting in 1919. Brancusi was her guide to modern sculpture, and was a major influence on Milita Petrascu’s work. She died in 1976, in Bucharest.

After the avant-garde stage, Milita Petrascu was known especially as an accomplished portraitist. She made the mosaic for a well-known fountain in Bucharest, “Miorita Fountain,” displayed her works together with the great Romanian avant-garde artist Marcel Iancu, but she owes her notable place in Romanian art history especially to her portraits and busts of Romanian celebrities: actresses Marioara Voiculescu and Elvira Godeanu, poets Octavian Goga, George Bacovia and Ion Barbu, her mentor Constantin Brancusi, prose writers Liviu Rebreanu and Mihail Sadoveanu, the great musician George Enescu, actor Constantin I. Nottara, and so on. In 1942 Milita Petrascu received the Romanian Academy Award and in 1972 the lifetime achievement Award of the Romanian Fine Arts Union.

We invite you to listen to RRI’s shows, to follow our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and on rri.ro, and to answer a few questions in writing, and you can win. The quiz is open until July 15, 2014, so this will be a shorter and denser competition than our usual ones.

The Grand Prize will be a 7-day (6-night) full-board stay for one RRI listener, in the last half of August 2014, in Gorj County, the home place of sculpture giant Brancusi. The winner will have a chance to see Brancusi’s works in Targu Jiu, the artist’s home, as well as a variety of other cultural, tourist and historical attractions in the area.

The competition is organized jointly with the “Constantin Brancusi” Municipal Culture Centre in Targu Jiu and other local partners. And, to encourage as many of you as possible to take part in this quiz, the organizer will also cover the cost of your airplane ticket to Bucharest!

As usual, the winner will have to complete the procedures and cover the costs of their Romanian visa, if necessary. For the other winners, our partners, the “Constantin Brancusi” Municipal Culture Centre in Targu Jiu in particular, have other interesting items to offer as prizes.

And now, here are the questions:

Where was Milita Petrascu born? When did Milita Petrascu start working in Brancusi’s workshop in Paris? What artistic movement in Romania did Milita Petrascu join in the 1920s? What famous works by Constantin Brancusi can be seen in Targu Jiu?

Tell us what prompted you to take part in this competition and, more importantly, why you listen to RRI or follow our online programmes?

Our coordinates are unchanged: Radio Romania International, 60-64 Gral Berthelot Street, sector 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, postal code 010165, fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, email engl@rri.ro. We are waiting for your answers until July 15, postage date. The Grand Prize winner will be announced shortly after the closing of the quiz. Good luck!

16 June 2014