One of the biggest challenges that a great violinist can meet during his career is interpreting the works of the Italian composer Niccolò Paganini. You will be able to enjoy such a score, difficult for the artist, but extremely pleasant for the audience, within the event proposed to take place on Friday, 31^st January (at 19:00), at the Radio Hall: Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Violin and Orchestra. This work will prove the virtuosity of the violinist GABRIEL CROITORU, the soloist of the National Radio Orchestras and Choirs. In 2008, after having won a competition, he obtained the right to play the Guarneri violin, which is part of the world heritage and belonged to George Enescu; the instrument is under the administration of the ‘George Enescu’ National Museum.

‘Paganini’s Concerto No. 1 and the one by Tchaikovsky are the two concerts on which my training as a violinist was based, back when I participated in international competitions. They were always a great success and I used to alternate them, depending on the programme chosen for that competition. Therefore, I for one remain loyal to the delight felt when playing this concerto by Paganini. I believe that the first time I played it in Bucharest was also at the Radio Hall, under the baton of maestro Andreescu, when I was in the twelfth grade. It was 1983, so it’s been thirty years since that moment. I am glad to play again this concerto because, as I was saying, it’s one of my favourites.’ – stated Gabriel Croitoru, with regard to the event at the Radio Hall.

During the interval of the event on 31^st January, you’ll have the chance to meet Gabriel Croitoru in the foyer of the Radio Hall, where Radio Romania and the ‘Casa Radio’ Publishing House invite the audience to meet both Gabriel Croitoru and the famous pianist VALENTIN GHEORGHIU. This meeting is part of the release of the album containing the names of the two artists: ‘Valentin Gheorghiu-Gabriel Croitoru Recital. Beethoven, Dvořák, Enescu’. So, after interpreting Niccolò Paganini’s Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra, Gabriel Croitoru will leave the stage of the Radio Hall for the central foyer and, together with maestro Valentin Gheorghiu, he will share with the audience a few thoughts on the making of this album. The album includes recordings made by Radio Romania in 2010: The Kreutzer Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonín Dvořák’s Sonatina in G Major and, for the end, The Violin Sonata No. 3 dans le caractère populaire roumain by George Enescu.

The event on 31^st January will take place under the baton of DAVID CRESCENZI – the conductor with Italian origins who is a permanent guest conductor of the Romanian Opera House in Timisoara. His activity includes a varied artistic experience at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, the Cairo Opera House (Egypt) or the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, beside ensembles such as the Zagreb Opera Orchestra, the Bologna Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonics in Alessandria and Piedmont, the Symphony Orchestra of the Teatro Reggio in Parma etc.

The evening offered by the NATIONAL RADIO ORCHESTRA will also give you the chance to listen to two other well-known scores, which are always enjoyed by the audience: the amusing and full-of-rhythm ouverture of the opera La Cenerentola by Rossini and Schumann’s Spring Symphony. Whereas Rossini composed his ouverture when he was only 25 and finalized the entire opera in only three weeks, Schumann drafted the first symphony in just four days, and the premiere in Leipzig – conducted by another great composer of the world, Felix Mendelssohn – was a real triumph with the audience.
The tickets are available on www.bilete.ro, at the Post Offices, in Inmedio stores with the inscription Bilete.ro, in Germanos stores and at the ticket office of the Radio Hall.

For any other info related to the National Radio Orchestra and Choirs please visit www.orchestreradio.ro or www.orchestreradio.com.