This week, the President of the ICMA jury announced that Radio România Muzical , represented by Cristina Comandasu, is going to be part of the esteemed jury, starting 2020.

Cristina Comandasu, this week we found out that Radio România Muzical is going to be part of the International Classical Music Awards jury, the most important competition in the European record industry. You will be part of this important competition's jury on behalf of Radio România Muzical . What do you reckon the importance of such an event will mean for Radio România Muzical and, why not, for the Romanian record industry further down the road?

To be honest, I have yet to collect myself from the impression this Radio România Muzical nomination and this invitation addressed to Radio România Muzical and Cristina Comandasu had on me. Certainly, we knew how important they were when we were writing the news for the ICMA Awards, and to see Radio România Muzical and a Romanian in that jury at the moment, means something...almost incredible for myself. I cannot be anything else than grateful to those who recommended that our radio station and myself to be part of this jury. In fact, I believe that this event crowns all of our years' worth of work serving value and creating good quality products. Romania needs to be represented through the good quality events happening here and I strongly believe that Radio România Muzical is one of the good quality things that exists; a thing that was confirmed at the level of the European Radio Union is once again confirmed through the invitation in this jury.

A couple more details...the first participation will be in 2020. What will it consist of, more precisely?

The first invitation I received is to decide on the 2020 finalists. Surely, I will not have the right to vote just yet, because I did not take part in the 2019 record listening, but in January 2020 the Zagreb meeting will take place, during which the finalists for each section will be determined, followed by the winners' concerts in Seville, in April. And I expect for the records proposed for the competition by the record companies to even start arriving these days. This year almost 400 records were nominated. It is a very important work we have to do. You can realise how much time it takes only to listen to 400 nominated records! But I have to admit that the new records and this connection with the actuality have always been very important for myself. Besides, I have been covering this subject for 17 years, since I was a young editor here, at Radio România Muzical. And yes, I reckon it is of the utmost importance in Romania, as well as in here, to constantly be connected to the new and for what takes place at the European level to immediately be reflected here as well, on Radio România Muzical.