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Interview with Mihai Cojocaru, artistic consultant of the "George Enescu" Philharmonic
On October 15th, 2024, the Tuesday Evening Season, taking place at the Small Hall of the Romanian Athenaeum, opens its gates for a new series of events. More information about the project was provided to us by Mihai Cojocaru, artistic consultant of the Bucharest Philharmonic:
Mihai Cojocaru, the Tuesday Evening Season, conducted by the "George Enescu" Philharmonic, already has a tradition dating back to 2008. What are the main aims of this project and how has it developed along the years?
All credit for this project goes to musicologist Cristina Sârbu. It is a project primarily targeted at the young generations who have already proved themselves to be endowed with exceptional qualities, young musicians, mainly Romanian, but also several foreigners, who come specially to perform at the Small Hall of the Athenaeum this season, which, as you see, has established itself as a Tuesday Evening Season during the week and has managed to gather its own audience, a very loyal one I might add, and that is how these aims have become a tradition which we hope will continue.
Who are the young musicians who will perform during the Tuesday Evening Season at the Small Hall of the Athenaeum?
As usual, Mrs. Cristina Sârbu prepared the entire Tuesday Evening Season, up to June 10th. Our young musicians are one more talented than the other. For instance, Russian violinist IngaRodina, who is also going to open the Tuesday Evening Season on October 15th and who has gained recognition here in our country after winning the Master of Strings contest this year, then, moving on to cellist SmarandaEftimie, who is a student in Helsinki at present, then, there is Sebastian Cazan, a young pianist who stood out in the first stage of this year's "George Enescu" piano contest and whom we wanted to have in the Tuesday Evening Season, and then, of course, many other names, some new, others familiar, having already been mentioned along this project; here I would like to mention violinist AronCavassi, pianist Robert Creimerman, a recent Glasgow graduate student, clarinet player IoanaTomescu, who took part in the previous season as well, and last, but not least,countertenorAlexandruCostea, who is also returning to the Small Stage of the Athenaeum.
What is the selection process for the young people who are interested in giving a recital during the Tuesday Evening Season?
As I was saying, the selection process comprisesseveral simple criteria, they have to be young, talented, full of initiative, they need to alreadyhave been heard of and seen performing on other stages, so that their arrival to the Athenaeum should launch them further in their musical career, on their path to becoming artistically mature.I would also like to highlight the excellent collaboration we have had,ever since the beginning,with your radio station, Radio România Muzical, which, as co-producer, records every recital and broadcasts it subsequently, collaboration which can onlybenefit our guest artists entirely in terms of career and further development.
Translated by Mara Scoroșanu,
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year I
Corrected by Silvia Petrescu