Trio Petre, led by violinist Luminitza Petre, performs on Sunday, the 30^th of March 2025, on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum. In a dialogue with Ioana Țintea, Luminitza Petre gave us more details about this event.

Mrs. Luminitza Petre, you will be on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum together with your colleagues from Trio Petre and violinist Valentin Șerban, in a chamber concert in memoriam of Professor Valeriu Rogacev- mentor for many generations of musicians. How would you describe the late musician and what impact did he have on your artistic formation?

Professor ValeriuRogacev was one of the most prolific violin pedagogues in Romania. In 2023, he left us after a long and fulfilling life of great success. I had the privilege of being his student from the 9^th grade, from the age of 14. Then, I was his assistant in Rogacev's class for Conservatory training. And he also marked my life emotionally; he was my husband and the father of our son. He was a very special personality.

In Stuttgart, I had the joy of meeting one of his first pupils. After graduating from the Conservatory, he was immediately a teacher at the music high school in Lemnea, and one of his first pupils in the fourth grade, Ovidiu Abramovici, also became a great teacher in Stuttgart after having been a concertmaster in Tel Aviv. We did an interview together and remembered what a teacher he was and how he marked their lives, how they used to go on holidays to the seaside together and he taught them how to swim, he also gave lessons during the holidays... So, a very special personality, who went beyond the boundaries of the teacher-pupil relationship; he had an almost father-like relationship with almost everyone he taught.

Those he trained are scattered all over the world. The Rector of the Conservatory, Mrs. Diana Moș, was his pupil; Gabriel and Florin Croitoru, who are also pedagogues... he marked our lives in an extraordinary way. And, for me, it was very important to make our public aware of the impact he had on the lives of so many violinists.

How would you describe the legacy of the late Professor Rogacev?

The legacy, as I said, is like interest on interest. It multiplies. It multiplies through those who, when their time comes, train other violinists. It has marked musical life. After his return from Germany in 1997, he taught at the University of Pitești and at the 'Transilvania' University of Brașov. Philharmonics are full of violinists trained by Rogacev. What greater legacy and fulfilment for a teacher!

On the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum, you will perform with violinist Valentin Șerban. What can you tell us about working with him?

I had the pleasure of inviting him to the 'Luminitza Petre & Friends' garden concerts during the pandemic years. That was our first collaboration and I knew that he was a disciple of Professor ValeriuRogacev. We continued the musical relationship and I was very happy that it was auspicious.

The evening's music programme is diverse, including works by Boccherini, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky, among others. How was it conceived and what were the criteria for choosing the works?

We have organised the concert in two parts. In the first part, I will play with Valentin - we will play duos - and I tried to choose pieces that I have worked on with Maestro Valeriu Rogacev, or at least in touch. For example, I chose The Dance of the Swords; being by Haciaturian, I worked with Valeriu Rogacev on the Haciaturian Concerto (this was an important pillar in my violin career). I also chose Mussorgsky, Russian music. Professor Rogacev was born in Bolgrad, near Odessa, where the great violinist David Oistrah comes from, who was for us and for the Rogacev's class the role model when it came to violin. That's where the Russian reworking of "Swan Lake", which I worked on with Maestro Rogacev for the concertmaster's audition in Stuttgart, comes from. And Boccherini and Stamitz... we discovered at the Stuttgart Library some new and lesser-known duos. And in the second part of the concert, I will play with my colleagues from Trio Petre-Dohnanyi, Beethoven, Piazzolla. And, at the end, I have prepared a surprise for our audience, a much-loved piece played at 'in memoriam' concerts for the quartet.

How does it feel to be back on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum?

It is a great joy to play for our Romanian audience. I'm glad to be back home and my heart is here.

Photo credit: Mihaela Cuturela