Started on 6th of April in Athens, the International Chamber Tour "Nights of Sonatas" held by the clarinet player Petru Panes continues with three more recitals which will be performed in the Hall of the Romanian Embassy from Vienna (27th of April), Konzerthaus from Berlin (30th of April) and the Romanian Athenaeum from Bucharest (9th of May). During the first recitals, alongside the young pianist will perform the pianist Oxana Corjos too, while the last one will pe held in the company of the pianist Andrei Licreț.

We will find details about the tour from the clarinet player Petru Pane:

"Nights of Sonatas", an international chamber tour which debuted three weeks ago. First of all, can you, please, tell us what these chamber tours represent for your career path?

It is, indeed, a challange. I have had solo recitals before, but never of such complexity. We tried to compose a complex program, that would have in the center of attention the Sonata for clarinet by Tiberiu Olah, which is a challange for every clarinet player. It has been edited all around the world; it is a very important work for the repertoire of this instrument. And alonside this sonata we also added the Sonata no. 2 by Brahms and Sonata by Poulenc. I think it was the time and also it is a great joy for me to have this opportunity.

Since you have listed works from the program of this tour, tell us more about it, precisly because you had some other tours before and you already have quite a bountiful experience in the chamber music field. How did you think to chose these three eorks for the program of this tour?

As I said, I tried to obtain a complex program. I was thinking of this idea to have a recital of sonatas. It all started from the Sonata by Olah, since it is a Romanian work and also because maybe it is not played as much as it would deserve...

...this sonata for solo clarinet, it is a good thing to mention this, the other two sonatas as for both clarinet and piano, and they are named "The enchanted bird". How is this "bird" for you?

As Brâncuși's sculpture, the sonata tries, I believe, to symbolize the flight or the detachement from the earth... I think it aims the same perfection that Brâncuși had. It is part of the cycle of five works written by Tiberiu Olah, all insired by the work of Brâncuși.

You are a 12th grade student at the George Enescu National College of Music. I would like to know how you manage your school work and preparation for the BAC with the programme of the Romanian Youth Orchestra, where you have been collaborating for two years now, and, here it is, with an international tour?

It's a challenge! I try to be as efficient as possible in everything I do, not to waste a second. Anything I learn for school is very well directed, exactly for the baccalaureate exam, I try not to waste my time with other concerns. What can I say, it's a lot of work, really, but I've never compromised on my study time. It's always been at the forefront.

For the recitals in Athens, Vienna and Berlin you have your mother, pianist Oxana Corjos, with you. What is it like for you to prepare a whole recital programme and tour, performing on stage as a family?

Of course it is a great joy to play with my mother, even if sometimes we may not get along as well as people might expect, because we are mother and son...

Exactly! I guess there's another level of demand!

Exactly. It's a different way of communicating. It's much more permissive than it would be in another context, with a stranger. But it's special! A very good chemistry, of course, and a very great joy to play with. She has a very high interpretive level and I try to live up to that.

You will perform the last recital of the tour at the Romanian Athenaeum, with pianist Andrei Licareț as your partner on stage. Have you played together before?

This is the first time and I'm very happy to have this opportunity.

How is the collaboration going?

We had our first rehearsal just two days ago, before I left for Vienna. He's an exceptional artist indeed! We have moulded each other stylistically really well and I think it's going to be a really, really nice, really successful collaboration.