Big Band Radio and Romanian Youth Jazz Orchestra will perform the second concert together on Thursday evening, at 7 PM, on the Radio Hall stage. The name of the program prepared by the two orchestras is called "On Your Birthday, Mommy!" . We find out more details about this event from Simona Strungaru, the conductor of Big Band Radio, in an interview by Viorel Grecu.

You have adapted this second event with Romanian Youth Jazz Orchestra for this season, called "On Your Birthday, Mommy!". What can you tell us about the repertoire for Thursday evening?

Thursday evening, on March 5th, we will perform this concert called "On Your Birthday, Mommy!", also suggestive because we will perform this piece in an arrangement for two big bands created by Florian Radu and I. And it truly is a special program in which we encounter swing pieces, latin jazz pieces, ballads. It's a repertoire chosen in such a way that children have a lot to learn from it, those who are part of Romanian Youth Jazz Orchestra, and, at the same time a repertoire that is a challenge for everyone. But a wonderful challenge and pieces that will undoubtedly be to the audience's liking.

What I understand from that is that the unusual pieces from the program were prepared by you for this event.

Yes, we have a couple of personal arrangements of well known pieces, jazz style arrangements and I can't wait to see the audience's reaction and the reaction from the ladies in the audience, those to whom this concert is dedicated.

Let's also talk a bit about the children that will perform in the concert. Unlike last time, there will also be vocalists from what I understand.

Yes, we do, in fact, also have this aspect covered. We have vocal soloists who are students at the Dinu Lipatti High School from Bucharest, students of professor Marina Arsene. And the way we welcome these singers in the context of Romanian Youth Jazz Orchestra is in the vocal group.

Therefore, we are not performing anything with a soloist, rather everything that happens is addressed to the vocal group, just like in an orchestra, the focus is on performing together, in this collaboration that comes to be between multiple musicians.

How was the first concert with the Romanian Youth Jazz Orchestra? How did everything that happened feel for you on the stage?

The feedback was very good, everyone appreciated our initiative, and everything felt amazing on the stage. All of those who participated in the concert - both the children and the big band's members - were very involved and were on the same frequency. And that was felt, I mean, me personally, being the middle of everyone, I felt a lot of focus and a desire to succeed and to share the most beautiful feelings about our craft.

And the same from the audience, I felt an embrace, like that. It was wonderful and I expect this concert to be special too.

I am very happy that we are able to fulfill this project, Romanian Youth Jazz Orchestra, with the help of Burneci Music, Exces Music, Radio România, and I thank all of my colleagues from the Big Band Radio, who are mentors for the youth. More precisely Sebastian Burneci, Ciprian Partenie on trombones, Liviu Negru on guitar, Cătălin Milea on saxophone, Mike Alex on bass, Johnny Bica on piano, and Laurențiu Zmău on drums.

And going forward, I'm guessing you are preparing new events in the same formula with Romanian Youth Jazz Orchestra. Can you tell us a bit about what's waiting for us on the horizon?

I can tell you that tickets are limited and it's best to purchase them ahead of time for the concert in June, which will have a completely surprising theme and once we reveal it, it's possible you might not be able to get your hands on tickets, so keep an eye out because we are preparing something big. But I don't want to spill anything yet.