I. The Young Talents Festival, an essential part of the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic season in Râmnicu Vâlcea. An interview with Mr. Petruț Constantinescu, manager of the Philharmonic.

Mr. Director Petruț Constantinescu, it is always a great pleasure for me to attend the concerts or festivals of the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic, which we could also call the Youth Philharmonic. I strongly believe in this unique chance you offer to talented young people, not only in Romania but probably also at the European level, to grow on stage-an extraordinary motivation for each artist's development.

But the Philharmonic of Râmnicu Vâlcea also supports specialconcerts... and I have seen some truly remarkable things, some very interesting collaborations, such as the Easter Concert or the Europe Day Concert orthe Viorica Cortez Gala coming up on May 20th. However, I would like you to tell me what you consider essential in the season so far.

First of all, I am very happy that it has already become a tradition for Radio România Muzical to be present at each edition of the "Young Talents" Festival, where you are essentially doing something more important than what we do at certain times. You are continuing the tradition of skilled musicians who came and wrote-I am talking about the great music critics you inherit, the great Radio personalities whose footsteps you follow-and certainly, these reviews and interviews will undoubtedly remain professional testimonies for posterity.

As for what happens on the stage of our philharmonic in RâmnicuVâlcea during this festival, I'd like to note that besides successfully registering it with OSIM and making it a trademark of the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic, the "Young Talents" Festival is the longest-standing classical music festival, second only to the "George Enescu" International Festival. With an unbroken legacy spanning 44 years, this exceptional festival is the longest-running for the young talents who have graced the stage. It was founded by Irina Șațchi, Rodica Sava, maestro Alfred Hoffman, maestro Vasile Donose, Edgar Elian, Dumitru Avakian, all of them very prominent figures who came year after year to Râmnicu Vâlcea and contributed to the establishment of the festival, now organized by the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic together with the Râmnicu Vâlcea City Hall.

Of course, we also strive to elevate the standard each year, constantly introducing new things. For instance, a notable highlight this year is the participation of two girls from the recently founded Central Ballet School in RâmnicuVâlcea, both of whom had won major awards. As youall know, achieving recognition in ballet is extremely difficult, especially for dancers fromprovincial areas... so this is a major novelty. Furthermore, for the past two years, the festival's president, a pianist, doctor, and musicologist, Ilinca Dumitrescu, has displayed great enthusiasm and dynamism in organizing the event.Not only does she oversee its proceedings but, as you have seen, following the Competition named after the renowned composer Ion Dumitrescu, which also serves as the namesake of the Philharmonic in Vâlcea, a competition organized in Bucharest together with the Music School no. 4, Ilinca Dumitrescu brought 9 of the 400 participants to Râmnicu Vâlcea, selecting the finest young talents from all over the country.

Another highlight is a choral group from Brașov, an extraordinary vocal ensemble, Crai Nou, which has also received a distinction. Also, on the topic of novelties, I want to address the matter of distinctions and wish to mention that for several years now, our Philharmonic has enjoyed the support of very generous partners, including the Trading Companies "Diana," and "Nurvil," and the eye care clinic "Medicalma Vision," all of whichare partners from Râmnicu Vâlcea; as well as two important NGOs, Rotary Râmnicu Vâlcea and Rotary Cozia Râmnicu Vâlcea; and FAIR-MediaSind, the largest trade union in culture and mass media, with which we have had a special partnership. The latter has been offering an award at the "Young Talents" Festival for four years now,and this year, they are presenting the award to the choral group from Brașov. Last but not least, the Philharmonic has also been presenting its awards, and Mr. Constantin Sava has also been offering the "In Memoriam Rodica Sava"distinction for over four years. These awards are crucial because, besides the financial support they provide, they also involvepresenting the representative plaques that will remain over time in the array of distinctions and awards won by these young people who will one day grace the big stages.

Certainly, the "Remember Enescu" Foundation, led by Professor Mihaela Tomescu, provideswhat I like to call remarkable talents from across the country. Even in the Gala Concert, she reserves a spot each year for the most talented individual, who will have the opportunity to perform with the Symphony Orchestra. This year's Gala will be particularly special, with an international feel, as it will feature a tenor from Italy, Marco Solinas, performing alongside soprano Maria Cazacu. Also joining the Gala will be the young pianist InyaCutova, recipient of impressive piano awards, and violinist Mihai Mangîr, who hails from the Republic of Moldova and is representing the "Remember Enescu" Foundation. The Gala will feature four distinct moments, including the Concertino for Clarinet by Carl Maria von Weber, which will be performed by the young musician from Timișoara, Vlad Oberșterescu. This Gala truly epitomizes professionalism, as even the Philharmonic Orchestra faces challenging accompaniments.

This Gala truly epitomizes professionalism as the Philharmonic Orchestra is also put to the test with challenging accompaniments.

Aside from the novelties you introduce each year, two elements that are somewhat related to the managerial concept have captured my attention, and I wish to highlight them, especially considering their rarity elsewhere. Firstly, there's a tendency towards a syncretism of artistic elements; we see ballerinas, vocal soloists, and a choral group that even had a moment of folkloric inspiration.I would like to know if this was intentional or if it happened spontaneously.

Additionally, I found the continuity of performance noteworthy, clearly leaving a profound impact on the public conscience. And there is alsothe fact that you've reached the 44th edition of the Festival,so we can already consider it a historic event, as well as the emblematic status the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic has held in the city of Râmnicu Vâlcea for almost 30 years.

That's correct… I like to think of the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic as a very boldone because, in recent years, we've undertaken projects that, to be honest, no other Philharmonic has yet ventured to explore, and very few have embraced this syncretism you speak of. This symphonic X trend is very popular, where more or less valuable groups and formations approach professional institutions, opera houses, operettas, or philharmonics, striving to assert themselves from behind the enchanting shadows of authentic artists. And, to be very honest, these groups that keep seeking refuge here do not necessarily enhance the prestige of professional institutions, yet they somehow manage to prepare themselves, even if not all of them deserve to perform alongside a symphony orchestra. This may be useful at times as a way to attract an audience that you can't immediately introduce to Brahms, Beethoven, Mahler, or other classical, pre-classical, romantic, or even modern composers… These "fusion" concerts are not necessarily harmful, but we need to ensure we don't stray from the institution's mission and vision. Therefore, the RâmnicuVâlcea Philharmonic constantly seeks balance. We don't hold more than one or two such events per year. Instead, we focus on the syncretism you aptly noticed. The ballet performances are strictly professional, so we don't feature amateur dances; the vocal groups are also strictly professional, with correct and authentic guidance, as are the chamber ensembles, which constituteanother new addition. Generally, easy performances lack substance, and as you well know, people stop attending after two or three repetitions. In contrast, Beethoven's Emperor Concerto always draws a full house, no matter how many times it is performed. We aim to maintain a balance in our season.

I wanted to ask you to mentionthe major upcoming events in your season.

People often ask me, "What's the most beautiful or important event in the season you're putting together?" Essentially, every concert by a philharmonic should be very appealing. It also depends on personal preference, and I have to admit we have long-standing music enthusiasts who may not attend some concerts because they don't feel those concerts represent them, even though they were present at the other 100 concerts held by the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic in 2023.

The reclassification of professional music institutions as either representative or not is often discussed in the context of international stature and national significance. This is a major misconception; I think it's out of the question to doubt whether any Philharmonic holds national value.

Now, I'd like to discuss the event on May 20th, 2024, following the festival on May 12th-13th. In RâmnicuVâlcea, we're deeply honored, privileged, and delighted to welcome the mezzo-soprano Viorica Cortez. We've organized a special Gala because her niece is from the Vâlceaarea, from the town of Horezu, and she is the one who insisted on bringing Viorica Cortez here.While I'm not the one who came up with the idea, I received it with great emotion and joy, and I must mention that without the support of the Râmnicu Vâlcea City Hall, this event would not have been possible. Great personalities, in a positive sense, require certain conditions; you can't bring such a personality to RâmnicuVâlcea solely relying on your resources.It's not just about money but also about everything that such an event entails.As a key partner of the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic, the "Norvil" Trading Company provides a limousine, not necessarily out of luxury, but because Mrs. Viorica Cortez is of venerable age, and since Râmnicu Vâlcea lacks an airport, the journey from Bucharest must be made under certain conditions. It's only fitting that a world-renowned personality be treated with such respect.

A more extensive promotion of the event will be necessary.

Absolutely. In this respect, we are once again fortunate to have the support of the Municipality, and of some of our partners... The Gala will feature the distinguished mezzo-sopranoViorica Cortez, and we've also invited the baritone Florin Estefan, well-known as the director of the National Opera in Cluj-Napoca. So, here we have yet another prominent figure joiningViorica Cortez in concert at Râmnicu Vâlcea. The concert will be conducted by a maestro closely associated with the Opera, namely the Principal Conductor of the "Ion Dacian" Operetta Theatre in Bucharest, AlexandruIlie, thus crafting an authentic lyrical Gala, and we sincerely hope the audience will experience a memorable and historic moment.

Would you mind elaborating on the Philharmonic events that have concluded recently and have already been deemed extraordinary achievements?

Certainly, and I'll refer to the Easter events. We hosted a remarkable concert that stemmed from the idea of the Director of the Philharmonic in Ploiești. On April 25th, he organized a spectacular concert featuring three choirs: the Philharmonic choirs from Craiova and Ploiești, and the "Euphonia" Choir of the Philharmonic in Râmnicu Vâlcea. Therefore, three choirs offered a spectacular rendition of Mozart's Requiem, accompanied by the Orchestra of the "Paul Constantinescu" Philharmonic.Then, using our resources, we organized theStrăluciri Pascaleconcert, with selections from this Requiem. Our guests were the conductor Andrei Stănculescu, and the "Preludiu-Voicu Enăchescu" Choir.These events in Ploiești and RâmnicuVâlcea showcased "fusion" moments where professional musicians collaborated seamlessly.This Easter concert was truly extraordinary, and, immediately afterward, on May 9th, again in Ploiești, the "Paul Constantinescu"Philharmonic, which is a large institution with extensive resources, hosted another breathtaking concert. The "Euphonia" Choir was once again invited to perform alongside the "Oltenia" Philharmonic Choir and the Ploiești Philharmonic Choir in commemorating 200 years since Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Ninth Symphony. This uplifting and highly praised event took place in the Palace of Justice, an unconventional yet more spacious setting compared to a typical philharmonic hall.

These are a few of the key in which the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic has been involved throughout the year.Next up is the concert in Vienna. Then, for National Anthem Day on July 29th, we are working to offer the public an impressive outdoor concert, either in "Zăvoi" Park or the city center. The matter of the place is still under discussion due to special technical requirements. We are confident that, like last year, we will have a very large audience. Following this, the Symphony Orchestra of the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic will perform at the Radio Hall to officially close the largest interwar music festival in Europe. This has never been done before; as I mentioned, we like to be pioneers in such unique ventures. The renowned violinist Florin Ionescu-Galați will take the stage for the opening act, followed by ensembles from France, Germany, England, and the Radio Big Band. Therefore, prestigious professional ensembles are involved, and the "Ion Dumitrescu" Philharmonic will close this festival because we are the favored orchestra for this project. And in the fall, we are already working to inaugurate the 2024-2025 season with Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. I've already told you about the Vienna Philharmonic, which has been visiting Romania for 17 years now, and for next year, themed around Strauss, we will prepare aunique concert. We hope that all these exceptional collaborations will serve exclusively for the benefit of the audience, who can only enrich themselves with great music in this way.

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II. Historical milestones of the "Young Talents" Festival in Râmnicu Vâlcea. An Interview with Prof. Dr. Dorel Constantinescu.

Mr. Dorel Constantinescu, you come from a journalism background, so it's fair to say you've been a very objective witness to the beginnings of the "Young Talents" Festival, and its evolution over time, so to speak. Could you share with us how the idea of this festival came about and which personalities were instrumental in realizing its first edition?

Allow me to start with a small acknowledgment, if I may, regarding RâmnicuVâlcea's enduring cultural legacy, which is a source of pride for its residents. This legacy dates back to a period before the Second World War when the city played host to George Enescu, Constantin Tănase, and esteemed actors of the era. They performed at the Adreani Theater in the historic city center, a venue that, sadly, no longer exists today. This cultural tapestryinspired a sense of emulation among the educated populace, motivating them to organize themselves and cultivate their own means of artistic expression.

As a result, theater, operetta, and cabaret ensembles emerged alongside a modest symphony orchestra. These initiatives served as the focal point for cultural activities involving the inhabitants of Râmnic, a town with a population of just 25,000 at the time.

Did all this happen during the interwar period?

During the interwar period and immediately after the war. These initiatives gave meaning to the artistic movement thatensued. The "Young Talents" Festival traces its origins to the endeavors of an organization, then known as the "Friends of Music and Theater" Society, which was formed by cultural figures, with Professor Irina Șațchi at its core. She was also behind aremarkable activity, namely the summer music courses, to which she invited all the academicluminaries from Bucharest to RâmnicuVâlcea. Some of the people who joined the courses were George Manoliu, Serafim Antropov, and Radu Negreanu, along with renowned musicians such as Eugen Sârbu and Marin Cazacu. They all added substance and vitality to the summer programs tailored for young music enthusiasts.

Around 1975-1976, Smaranda Oțeanu, a journalist at the Scânteia newspaper at the time, and Vasile Donose, a respected music critic, came to Râmnicu Vâlcea on a tour to find a city where they could organize rigorous courses, and a festival without the pressure of a competition. They found a suitable environment at RâmnicuVâlcea, as the cultural leadership was then heldby a Romanian language professor, Vasile Roman, and the political and administrative authorities were willing to embrace this idea.

Perhaps they were also influenced by the fact that this area has produced some important musical figures, composers, and performers.

Certainly... although I want to point out something that holds even today: authorities are less likely to attend such artistic events, and it's commendable that they don't hinder this field, which is often neglected and unfairly marginalized.

During 1976-1978, as preparations were underway for the "Young Talents" Festival, fortunately, a group from the "Friends of Music and Theater" Society promptly volunteered to back the festival with their own efforts.

As a young journalist at the time, although I wasn't covering culture, it was known that I had some leanings in that direction, so I was assigned to cover the "Young Talents" Festival. This meant, and it's no small matter, a very close connection with the College of Music Critics and with Maestro Alfred Hoffman, who was the driving force behind the endeavor. Let me digress once more to note that Alfred Hoffman was a part of the International Record Jury and had a room filled with records... He was very upsetthat he did not have a device to play them, so the dozens, hundreds, or perhaps thousands of compositions couldn't be listened to since they weren't forbidden, but somewhat kept away from those who should have heard them.

Mr. Alfred Hoffman traveled around the country, visiting universities, art schools, and high schools, and scoutingfor talents, which he selected with extraordinary thoroughness. And when a particular program was devised, it brought together the nation's finest talents in the field of music at that time.

And just to assure you, I'd like to highlight the fact that in Râmnicu Vâlcea, the stage of Young Talents has seen performances by Angela Gheorghiu,AlexandruTomescu, andnumerous other talented youngsters who delivered special programs that were warmly received by audiences. It's also worth mentioning the multitude of young talents, even from the younger generations, such as Luiza Borac, Adela Liculescu, Mihai Diaconescu, and several other highly talented individuals, whom Vâlcea proudly acknowledges for gracing the stage of its Philharmonic, with some of them being regular attendees at the institution's concerts.

What happened next, how did the festival gain recognition?

After tiring and lengthy tours across the country, Alfred Hoffman managed the programs, while I maintained frequent correspondence with him regarding these programs, detailing the performers scheduled to take the stage, along with information related to previous editions. We discussed layout and other such aspects, as well as everything involved in the printing process. During that era, the newspaper was produced under different conditions, using different technologies and always requiring late-night hours for the daily edition.

Where were the concerts held? The Philharmonic didn't exist.

In the first two or three years, the concerts were held in a hall of the local People's Council, where all major cultural events were organized, and, as an interesting side note, I'd mention that at that time there weren't many spectators. Offended by the empty hall, the authorities would quickly mobilize the army and send large numbersof young conscript soldiers to fill the venue, down to the last seat. Naturally, these young men, who were unfamiliar with the decorum of concerts or recitals, couldn't wait to leave until a sense of emulation was somehow created...I remember running around quite a bit with invitations to various enterprises or institutions from all fields back then, and we managed to bring people into the hall who truly appreciated the performance and the artistic delivery. Then, once this aspect was settled, the festival would begin, and it had to be organized with great care. There were accommodation and dining issues. I recall the College of Music Critics at the time wasn't picky at all; they accepted relatively modest hotel accommodations and dining in a canteen alongside the young participants of the festival. There was no social status difference but a camaraderie that we rarely see today.

The Festival would kick off with several events, starting with the debuting performances, continuing with a Sunday morning dedicated to those aspiring to make their mark, and culminating in the Gala evening spotlighting the most prominent artistic figures.

It was the exact format that the Festival maintains to this day.

Indeed, it's been preserved until today, and I want to extend sincere thanks to the National Radio Station, which for decades has had a team of reporters providing live broadcasts from all the events of the "Young Talents" Festival in Râmnicu Vâlcea.