As a musician, you are well known and valued, but few people know you are employed in painting as well. How does the harmony of sounds blend with the harmony of colours?

It is quiet simple: in fact, when I compose, I paint, and when I paint, I compose music. What is the meaning of colour in music? The harmony. All my music is nothing but a huge colour palette, a huge harmony. I has not just happened to me to teach for all my life, first of all harmony, and then composition, counterpoint, musical forms, stage management for opera theatre.

What does your activity as a professor at Gheorghe Dima Music Academy of Cluj-Napoca mean to you?

I joined this institution in 1952, as a student. Right after I had graduated I began teaching and I have been faithful to the Conservatory so far. I enjoy being a professor and I consider that what we teachers do is living material; that is because there is a living material in front of us and we can create a composition out of it. I have a natural talent for teaching, but first of all I am a composer.

How do you see today's Romanian musical phenomenon?

The Romanian music has a huge perspective; ever since George Enescu, the Romanian music has enormously evolved and now it is reaching its apogee. Here is the beginning of what so many composers and music lovers have dreamed about the Romanian music - our music goes on towards unexpected heights and unusually beautiful works.

Is there, among your compositions, any work you are especially fond of?

The story of my life itself is special. I consider it to be a gift from life, the fact that I am 75 and out of serious health problems and conflicts. It is also a gift from the destiny the fact that I have been able to compose, in six decades' time, almost 300 works. I must say that the divinity has given me the most important gift: to be able to keep faithful to those great phenomena - which I consider to be the most important in someone's life - the Joy, the Beauty and the Love. In the honour of Joy I have written Viva Diana which best expresses the joy in my heart; regarding the Beauty, I have dedicated it Rapsodismele händeliene (Handelian Rapsodisms) - or Händeliana (Handelian). Both works have been recorded at the Radio, in great performances. As for Love, I have written a work which I am very fond of and its title is Tribut lui Mozart (Tribute to Mozart) - it is a violin concert that has been masterfully performed by Alexandru Tomescu and the National Radio Orchestra conducted by Horia Andreescu. In the end, I must say I have always liked to share my joy, my inner beauty and the love in my heart with the others.