Contemporary in Romania is called the next concert of the Radio Big Band, which will take place on Thursday, May 22nd, at the Radio Hall, starting at 19:00. The program will consist exclusively of compositions signed by local musicians, members or collaborators of the Radio Big Band. Conductor Simona Strungaru gives us more information about this event in the interview she gave to Viorel Grecu.

It is the second Contemporary concert in Romania after about a year and a half. What motivated you to do the second concert?

We started the idea of Contemporary in Romania as a platform for presenting contemporary creations. I did it last season, and this is my second concert this season. Indeed, last year was at the beginning of the season, in November, so it seems a longer duration, but I thought it would be a seasonal concert and it is an opportunity for the members of the Big Band, even other musicians active on the local jazz scene, to present their compositions. It is very important to be aware of the Romanian creation.

You said there are musicians who are not part of the Big Band, some have collaborated before. I noticed at least one new name, I think of Andrei Petrache, I have never seen him with the Big Band. What can you tell us about these external collaborators?

We had collaborations with several of our guests as soloists, mainly. In the programs I approached with them there were also some works that they composed, such as Adi Nour, Irina Sârbu, Sorin Zlat, and with Andrei Petrache, it is indeed the first collaboration with the Big Band, but it is not my first personal collaboration with him, because together with the SonoMania contemporary music ensemble in the past I have performed his works. He is a very valuable musician who has activity on several musical levels in the country and who came up with a work from the songs of the Amphitrio ensemble that Philip Goron and Mike Alex have together.

Among the orchestra members, who are the ones who will present works in this Contemporary edition in Romania?

In this edition we have works composed by Paolo Profeti, Sebastian Burneci, me, Liviu Negru, Cătălin Milea and also George Natsis, who is no longer an active member of the Big Band, but is indeed an important part of the Big Band, comes with works.

Liviu Negru or Paolo Profeti have recently released albums, they are probably adaptations from their discs.

Yes, at Liviu will be presented one of his songs in the combo version, so how she is thought, and at Paolo Profeti, Tobias Hoffmann, who is a friend of ours and who is a renowned and awarded orchestrator, has orchestrated three songs, two of them I know are on Paolo's recent album. I am glad that we were able to illustrate this concert with the metal sculptures made by the sculptor Misha Diaconu, who is also an extremely valuable contemporary artist and I am trying to bring several arts together and to present to the public the current state.

The concert will also have a visual component.

It has a visual component that is related to the poster, that is, he allowed us and he was happy for his works to be presented in the poster. I've worked with her in the past. She is the one who helped me make the spheroidal instrument.

You have practically established a habit that every season we have a Contemporary concert in Romania. Do you intend to go further, for example, to release an album, possibly with a selection from several concerts ?

That's really what we want. We want these concerts not to pass as singular moments that those who were in the room only remember, but we want to document and we want to be present as much as possible to the attention of listeners and people who love music and from a creative point of view.