Until the 5th of December 2023, cultural foundation "Gaudium Animae" holds the National "Baroque Tour Op.2" More information about the new edition in an interview by Sarah Natsis with violinist Răzvan Stoica, who is touring with pianist Andreea Stoica.

On the 4th of November, together with pianist Andreea Stoica, you will be opening the National "Baroque Tour op.2".

Mr. Stoica, on November 4th you are openingtogether with pianist Andreea Stoica the National Tournament "Baroque Tour op. 2". How would you describe your experience with the last edition- "Baroque Tour op.1" and what are your expectations regarding this new series of concerts?

The first edition of "Baroque" was a unique experience for us because we had the chance to perform in halls with an incredible acoustic- like the fortified churches in Alba-Iulia and Sibiu, and at the same time we were able to "access" this style, including the technical aspect of the sound, of the baroque sound to be more specific. So here we are again, trying to bring the same baroque sound, together with "Kamerata Stradivarius". It really was a challenge to be able to "gather" the repertoire, to gather the parts of the score, which concerns each instrument or voice. It is not a repertoire that was performed often, but it is one that we chose together with the musicians from "Kamerata" and I think that we will again experience something unique.

Please tell us about the programme that you will be presenting with the "Kamerata Stradivarius" orchestra.

We will be performing Vivaldi's concerts from the series "La stravaganza". In the same part of the concert we will have two musical arrangements for the strings and piano orchestra from Domenico Scarlatti's Sonata in D Minor K1. Another arrangement made by myself is "Devil's Trill Sonata" by Tarini and another very hard to find and original arrangement will be "Chaccone" by Tarini. Andreea will also be performing Piano Concerto No.5 in F minor by Johann Sebastian Bach in its orginal version. It will truly be a very special programme.

The opening concert takes place in Baia Mare. What is the tour's itinerary after that?

After the concert in Baia Mare we will continue on November 9th at the Theater "Maria Filotti " in Brăila, then on November 11th at the National Theater in Galați, and on November 13th we will be at the Romanian Opera in Iași and on November 18 at Cantacuzino Castle in Busteni. On the 21st we will be in Oradea, and on the 25th in Botoșani, we will end the tournament in Satu Mare at the Philharmonic Hall "Dinu Lipatti".

You and your sister, pianist Andreea Stoica, have been a duo since 1996. Now looking back, what do you think is the most emotional moment lived on stage together?

I think the most emotional moment was the very first concert in which we perfomed -that was when I were in second grade, if I'm not mistaken, at the George Enescu music high school in Bucharest. We played a very simple yet very complicated song for that age, and I think at that moment we managed to create that sound and the connection that we still have on stage today.

Finally, I would like you to tell us which you consider to be the factor that triggered your interest in the baroque music.

What triggered my interest in the baroque music in particular is the repertoire I approached even during the pandemic, the fact that during college, Andreea and I had these classes of baroque music and our endeavours to concurrently bring that vibe of baroque music in Romania, which let's say has not been so popular in the last years.