Joining me this evening are jazz singer and composer Luiza Zan, together with composer, arranger, pianist, and conductor Andrei Petrache. Good evening, and welcome back to the Radio România Muzical studio!

Luiza Zan: Good evening!

Andrei Petrache: Good evening! Thank you for having us.

Luiza, it's been a strong start to the year for you. If I remember correctly, you had a recital at the Small Hall of the Romanian Athenaeum with the Muse Quartet in February, followed by a symphonic Nat King Cole concert with Andrei Petrache in Brașov, the Godot Theatre project with Amphitrio, and a performance at Sala Radio with the Radio Academic Choir. Which of these concerts did you find the most challenging?

Luiza Zan: That's an easy one to answer. The concert at Sala Radio with the Radio Chamber Choir was the most challenging. It was the first timeI ever performedas a soloist with a choir, and that alone made it the biggest challenge. As for my favorite, I won't tellyou just yet. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night's concert, and after that, we can revisit the question.

You shared the stage with Andrei Petrache at some of these events. When did your collaboration begin?

Andrei Petrache: Just recently.

Luiza Zan: Since our performance in Brașov.

Andrei Petrache: We've had a few smaller concerts in a chamber band setting, but now the projects we're doing together are on a much larger scale.

Luiza Zan: Our collaboration started when the Răzvan Florescu Quartet invited me to be on their album.

You sang two tracks.

Luiza Zan: I did vocals on two songs on that album, and that's when we started collaborating. But the idea of having Andrei join the Nat King Cole Symphonic project is something I'd had in mind for a long time. We'd been considering it for over a year, so I'm glad things have unfolded this way. I'm generally not a very patient person, so I'm grateful that life forced me to slow down a bit and let things fall into place, like this concert tomorrow that has been in the works for five years.

Just the preparation alone.

Luiza Zan: The preparation for it started five years ago when I began writing the initial ideas that later became the foundation for the arrangements Andrei wrote.

Do you mean the 2023 album, In My Village?

Luiza Zan: Yes, but that's not the only thing. The musical program for tomorrow night also includes other works.

You mentioned in an interview that you'll sing a piece that you premiered at the Romanian Athenaeum with the quartet.

Luiza Zan: That's right, in a quartet setting. I started writing that piece back in 2007, and I performed a very early version of it then, just a few chords and a little tune. Then, last year, the whole string arrangement justcame to me in a flash. I wrote it down, recorded it, and Andrei gave it its final form, the one you'll hear tomorrow night for the first time.

Speaking of memories, you have good ones at Sala Radio. If I'm not wrong, you even had a full-house concert there with Big Band Radio, conducted by Ionel Tudor, before the pandemic.

Luiza Zan: Yes, the concert hall was completely packed, and I remember that so clearly because I was thrilled to hear the show was sold out. But someone from Big Band warned me not to get too excited because usually, even though it says "sold out," the people with subscriptions don't always attend. The place was packed, with so many in the audience standing. It was a beautiful experience. Thankfully, we have a keepsake to remind us of that night: the album we recorded with Big Band Radio during the pandemic.

It was released by Casa Radio Publishing House, right?

Luiza Zan: Exactly. I'm really looking forward to its online release, too.

Tomorrow you're back at Sala Radio with what I think is another ambitious project. It's the first time your music will appear on stage with a symphony orchestra. What can you tell us about it?

Luiza Zan: I don't want to reveal too much, because the concert will also be broadcast live.

Radio România Muzical will be broadcasting the concert live.

Luiza Zan: Yes, both Radio România Muzical and Radio România Cultural. Talking about music is like dancing to explain architecture. It's better to let the music speak for itself, or for the critics to judge, or maybe I should let Andrei talk about it from a musical standpoint. I can only share the stories that inspired the compositions, but I'd like to keep that as a surprise for tomorrow night. I'll briefly introduce the pieces before I sing them to help the audienceimmerse themselves in the musical atmosphere, but I'd rather talk less and sing a bit more.

You were once referred to as a rebellious jazz artist, how do you see yourself as an artist today?

Luiza Zan: People are calling me a rebellious jazz artist again, and there's even an Instagram account with that name now. I'm trying not to think about myself too much. I focus on my art more than on my own persona.

But how do you see yourself through your music?

Luiza Zan: I have a melancholic disposition. That resonates in my music more than anything else. This style of writing with suspended chords, which aren't exactly clear, no, it's more of a feeling of being somewhere in between. That's how I feel as a musician, somewhere between two worlds.

Andrei, you orchestrated Luiza's songs, so you had a look inside her creative process. How do you view her music? What does it sound like with an orchestra? I imagine you can already hear it in your head.

Andrei Petrache: Yes. It's been playing in my head more and more lately. The preparation for tomorrow's concert has been a relatively short but very intense period. The idea of giving Luiza's band material from In My Village a full symphonic arrangement has been around for a while, but it's only recently that it actually became a reality. It's beena really intense time. I was, of course, very happy that Luiza had complete faith in my, at times perhaps more liberal, interpretation of the material.

So, you made some adjustments?

Luiza Zan: Yes, I did.

Andrei Petrache: I like to think I managed to stay true to Luiza's intentions and the core atmosphere that she envisioned and composed, and only perhaps enhance it, or refine it, and give it different colors through the orchestration, but also with certain additions, even in terms of form or sections. I hope all of this works together with Luiza's initial ideas. I even encourage the audience, who will join us tomorrow, to listen to the band version. They can find it on all streaming platforms, and I'm really curious to hear their thoughts on how the symphonic concert experience compares to the band version.

Luiza Zan: Essentially, we tried to depict a village. When we started working on In My Village, theearliest idea was to musically describe village life, not in a necessarily traditional way, but rather the rural life you see today, with the modern individual who has moved to the village, the outlander, if you will. We even have a radio show about those folks, about the outlanders who moved from the city to the countryside, bringing urban habits, the internet, and modern connections into village life. It talks about their daily life in all its aspects, not just those related to nature and people's connection to it. I realized the quintet version wasn't enough, even after we've made some additions-we had a trombone on the album.A quintet can't capture the breadth of village life, so I thought this orchestral format needed to be expanded to encompass rural life and everything nature entails. Andrei did such a brilliant job. I'm trying not to say "extraordinary" for the umpteenth time, butthe way village life is musically portrayed in this lovely orchestral arrangement is just so beautiful that I'm going to ask the listenersin the hall tomorrow night to close their eyes so they won'tsee us, just like those listening on the radio won't. It's a shame you won't see my dress, but I can describe it tomorrow. Yes, I want them to close their eyes and make this effort to distance themselves from the visual clutter we sometimes feel when we're in the middle of the city.

Andrei, tomorrow you're kind of the sound director for this whole show. You're leading the Radio Chamber Orchestra, as well as playing piano, so how are rehearsals progressing with them right now? Are the musicians picking up on the subtleties you were aiming for and the way Luiza Zan wants her music to come across?

Andrei Petrache: I'm very pleased with how the rehearsals have gone from our very first meeting. The joy and anticipation I felt before that moment were also mixed with a bit of stress.I enjoyed every day of rehearsal. First, it was just me and the orchestra, then came the band without Luiza, and today, we have everyone together: me, the orchestra, the band, and Luiza. Each step brought everything together and unified the musical material. We even had enough time to work on the details.I'm genuinely satisfied with this collaboration with the Radio Chamber Orchestra. There are so many wonderful musicians in the ensemble; I've known many of them from various other contexts: some were my colleagues in university, whereas others are artists I admired on stage years ago. That's why it's such an honor to be standing in front of them at this rostrum, which is actually the piano.

Especially since the Radio Chamber Orchestra is already familiar with your music well, if I remember correctly, they premiered your piece The Immersion on January 15th, conducted by Maestro Cristian Mandeal.

Andrei Petrache: That's right.

How was the music received? What feedback did you get?

Andrei Petrache: I hope people liked it. I got positive feedback. Usually, you only hear the good things, while the negative opinions tend to remain where you can't hear them.

Maybe it's best not to hear them at all...

Andrei Petrache: Probably the most meaningful feedback came from my conducting mentor, Maestro Cristian Mandeal, who generously agreed to conduct that concert and include my composition in the program. His positive response meant a great deal to me. I was incredibly happy to have had this opportunity and to work closely with the Radio Chamber Orchestra these past weeks.

You'll have some special guests performing with you on stage, and I'd love to hear more about them. If I'm not mistaken, they're members of the Amphitrio Trio, and also Răzvan Florescu.

Luiza Zan: Răzvan Florescu, who plays vibraphone and percussion, isn't just a guest and soloist for tomorrow night's concert. He was part of the team that created the In My Village album. He was with me through the entire creative process, patiently taking all my calls, just like Andrei did: "What do you think? Does this work? Is this right? Is this wrong?" I sent him dozens of versions and ideas, and we shaped the pieces togetherfrom the start in their initial, smaller form.He's an exceptional musician with incredible sensitivity. He's always up for the challenge of improvising on pieces that mean so much to me and that are emotionally loaded. He, too, gets emotional playing them, and I just love working with him.I've also collaborated with his quartet, which includes the members of Amphitrio. We're slowly becoming this beautiful little musical family,and I guess I'm the mother of the group! There's a big age gap between us, but I love working with them. I think I had different expectations and different anxieties, thinking that working across this huge age difference might mean we wouldn't connect musically, but actually, music has no age. It transcends all the barriers we humans tend to put up; it's a language that, fortunately, we all speak.At today's rehearsal, I felt such joy watching Andrei not only conduct but truly listen. It's rare to see a conductor who doesn't just read the score andmove their arms, but who actually hears and isn't just focused on the small details that are already written, but hears beyond what's written. And that, to me, shows that Andrei isn't just a brilliant composer and conductor, he's a real musician, one who is part of the music, not just standing outside of it.

Congratulations on the recent Radio România Cultural Awards nomination! The ceremony takes place next week, on April 16th, also at Sala Radio. Tell us more about the other guests joining you on stage tomorrow night.

Andrei Petrache: Let's continue with the percussion section and talk about Philip Goron, who's really the rhythmic backbone of these arrangements. He leads most of the grooves, the rhythmical flow, and all the danceable or pulsing sections. Not only does he establishthe main beat, but he also integrates melodic percussion instruments, just like Răzvan does. So, they have both solo roles and contribute percussive elements to the orchestra.That was the concept we came up with together for this arrangement: that the five of us will always be the core, able to step into both solo spots and also be part of the orchestral sound.We also have Mike Alex, whose real name is Marin Alexandru, but he goes by Mike Alex on stage. He's a regular collaborator with the Big Band Radio. He was also the one with whom I started learning jazz standards back in high school. It's a real joy to share this stage with him and the orchestra.And to add to what Luiza was saying earlier, what really makes this work is not just that we understand each other musically, but that we connect on a human level, too. That gives us a better chance to connect musically.

Luiza Zan: That's because we're the kind of people who talk about nothing but music.

You don't just talk about it, you live through music. Luiza, tomorrow, the material from your 2023 album In My Village will be presented in a full symphonic version. With that in mind, I wanted to ask if you have any recording projects in the works. It's been a little while since 2023, and I'm sure your fans are eager for something new.

Luiza Zan: Absolutely. I do have plans, but I think I'd rather talk about them a little later. Right now, this project that we're bringing to life tomorrow night, both live and on the radio waves, has taken up so much of me that I honestly can't think beyond it. But yes, my fans can rest assured that there is another album coming.I actually realized I have enough recorded material on my studio computer for about seven years after I'm no longer around. I've recorded almost every important concert I've done. But for now, I really just want to hear what the audience has to say after tomorrow night's show. I warmly invite those who feel something to share their thoughts-gently and thoughtfully, just like our music. I'd love to know if this kind of music brings even a little bit of joy into people's lives. That's really the goal-to deliver a little bit of good energy. We're not here with big ambitions or demands, we just want people to come with open hearts, just like we will be tomorrow night.

Of course. We're living in times where a little bit of good is more precious than anything. I've actually heard some whispers about your next album, namely that it might be in Romanian, and possibly out by the end of the year.Andrei, where can we see you after tomorrow night's concert?

Andrei Petrache: I'll be doing different things. I'll keep everyone updated with upcoming dates. And on that note, we invite all our listeners in Bucharest who want to see and hear the Luiza Zan Quintet, which includes Răzvan Florescu and Amphitrio, at JazzBook, the day after the radio concert, on Thursday, April 10th.

What will you be playing? Will you be revisiting In My Village in a quintet format, or will it be a different repertoire?

Luiza Zan: We'll also play other pieces, more modern ones. I see that concert as a kind of celebration, a way to mark the fact that we've made it through tomorrow night. We'll be more relaxed than we are now. Right now, I feel a bit emotionally weighed down by tomorrow's concert, I'm nervous about how the audience will react.

Why is that? From my perspective, you're more than prepared. If I think about it, you started this journey at the Romanian Athenaeum with a quartet, essentially a kind of miniature orchestra. Then you went to Brașov, where you performed orchestrated songs from Nat King Cole's repertoire, testing your voice in an orchestral setting. And after that, you came to Sala Radio, where you sang with the Radio Choir, so you at least got a feel for the space. Now, here you are, about to presentyour own original music with a full orchestra for the very first time. Am I right?

Luiza Zan: Yes. I think we all want to be loved by everyone. We all hope that nobody dislikes us. But I also know there will be a lot of people in the audience whom we really admire. Many people we look up to and are slightly intimidated by will be listening to us on the radio.As I said, the goal is to bring a little bit of joy into their hearts. It's interesting preparing for this moment, hoping to leave something good behind, but also hoping...

To leave a good impression. It's important that you think about those who are in front of you and those who are at home listening to the radio. Thinking about the audience who provides feedback is the most important aspect for an artist.

Luiza Zan: I think we should be upfront with the audience, especially those coming in with certain expectations, and clear up a few myths. What you'll hear tomorrow isn't jazz. It's original, modern music that tries to reflect the life of a village.That village might just be Sala Radio, with the community gathered there, and the listeners tuning in on Radio România Muzical and Radio România Cultural will be our village. We'll be asking questions, and offering answers, and the only thing we hope for is that people stay open and connected with us.

I wish you all the best. May the hall be full, and may you bring joy to those listening on the radio waves of Radio România Muzical. What can you tell us about the song She Reigns?

Luiza Zan: This piece was written during the pandemic. I remember exactly where I was when the idea came to me-it was on a little street called Patto. That day was also the first time my youngest child went to school. She was wearing a tiny mask and was tied with a piece of string to the classmates in front and behind her. The moment that really triggered the song was when Abi disappeared behind the school wall. I stood there, waiting to see her little head peek out and call out desperately, "Mommy, take me home!" And I would have, but she didn't turn around. She was so happy to go to school. My heart just shattered into pieces, and that's how this song came about.

We'll hear it tomorrow evening too, right?

Of course.