On Tuesday, June 10th, 2025, at Sala Radio in Bucharest, there will be hosted a new event in the series "Heirs of Musical Romania." On stage will be the cellist, Jan Sekaci, winner of the 2024 "Heirs of Musical Romania" scholarship, and pianist Daria Tudor, a performer appreciated both in Romania and internationally. Jan Sekaci tells us more about the recital at Sala Radio in the final part of his conversation with Ioana Țintea.

Let's return to the recital on June 10th. You will perform with pianist Daria Tudor, one of the most appreciated young musicians in accompaniment. How do you see this collaboration?

I'm very happy to have the chance to work with Daria - we already collaborate at the Barenboim-Said Academy, where she's been an official accompanist for about two years. This recital is a celebration of the scholarship and the opportunity it gives young Romanian artists to perform in front of the Bucharest audience and beyond. The recordings broadcasted on the radio reach a large audience. I feel it's a very special moment for both of us to connect with people and share our inner selves.

Tell us about the evening's program. How did you choose it?

I'll start with the order of the program. Debussy's Sonata is short - about 11 minutes - but it's like a little theatrical journey, a full story worthy of a symphony. It feels like a miniature house full of details, pictures, and different types of furniture. Next is Schumann, with his Five Pieces in Folk Style, written around the same time as his A minor Concerto. These five pieces are bold, humorous, introspective - they resemble Debussy's sonata in spirit. Again, it's a short but contrasting collection, about 15 minutes in total. Then comes Brahms's Sonata in F major. It reminds me of the Brahms Competition in Pörtschach in 2021. My journey with this sonata started eight years ago, when I was trying to understand its complex texture. Over time, I learned that even complicated music can have a simple core. For example, at the beginning of the sonata, you'll hear the piano's intense part, while the cello melody is a simple shape, like the curves of the Alps - mountains that show their majestic freedom. At the end of the program, you'll hear a well-known piece and often presented to the Romanian audience, in most cases, from the cellists' perspective: Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) by Pablo de Sarasate. I've enjoyed this piece for many years. I first tried playing it at the National Olympiad in Craiova in 2018, if I remember correctly. There's no need to describe it in detail - the audience will recognize it right away. It shows Hungarian culture, which I love. That's also why I chose to record Kodály's Sonata for Solo Cello. I believe this is a unique program, full of contrast. It presents the whole of Europe - from Spain, through French and German culture, all the way to Hungary, near our borders.

Finally, what are your thoughts as you look forward to meeting the Sala Radio audience again?

I'll return to the Sala Radio stage with longing - a longing for home, for the applause and energy that always fills me up when I return. I'm counting the days until the recital.